Kaieteur News
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Sunday September 02, 2018
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Aggressive pursuit of global power triggers a backlash (Republished from The Washington Post)
T
he aggressive pursuit of global power by the Chinese regime of Xi Jinping has begun to trigger a backlash. Hostility toward Beijing’s moves to establish hegemony over the South China Sea and to dominate emerging industries such as artificial intelligence is growing in Congress and the Trump administration, which appears bent on continuing a bilateral trade war. Meanwhile, smaller nations that have been drawn in to Mr. Xi’s “Belt and Road Initiative,” a gargantuan trans-regional infrastructure and influence building scheme, are having some second thoughts — as they should. Foremost among the doubters, or at least the most blunt-spoken, is Malaysia’s newly elected but muchseasoned prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, who this month announced the cancellation of two huge Chinese projects in his country. During a visit to Beijing, Mr. Mahathir bluntly told his hosts that “we do not want a situation where there is a new version of co-lo-ni-al-ism happening because poor countries are unable to compete with rich countries.” A $13.4 billion rail line and a $2.5 billion deal to build gas pipelines, he said, threatened to bankrupt his country. In an interview with the New York Times, the 93year-old leader, who won an upset victory in May on a platform of combating corruption, was even more explicit. He charged that the previous prime minister, Najib Razak, had used inflated deals with China to replace money stolen from a state investment fund. He compared the deals China is striking with countries such as his to the “unequal treaties in the past imposed upon China by Western powers.” The Malaysian leader’s unvarnished assessment could be applied to a number of other countries enlisted by China for Belt and Road, which includes scores of projects from Vanuatu to Colombia, with spending expected to mount into the trillions of dollars. While many nations need the ports, railroads and pipelines China is pushing, often they can ill afford the terms. Most are funded by loans from Chinese banks and built by Chinese firms that frequently import their own labor. Independent studies have concluded that many governments will struggle to repay the loans — which may give Beijing political as well as economic leverage. Already, Sri Lanka was forced to hand over a new deepwater port to a Chinese company after it was unable to make payments. In Malaysia, China is still committed to building a $10 billion port on the strategic strait of Malacca — a facility that is commercially questionable, but deep enough to accommodate Chinese aircraft carriers. Another port is underway in Gwadar, Pakistan, the terminus of a grandiose China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that has added billions to Pakistan’s debt. The Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, has been warning of the economic dangers and hidden geopolitical costs of Belt and Road; a recent Pentagon report said it is meant to “deter confrontation or criticism of China’s approach to sensitive issues.” But President Trump killed the leading U.S. alternative for many Asian countries, the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Last month, the administration launched a new Indo-Pacific development program with a paltry $115 million in funding. A real alternative for countries such as Malaysia will require far more than that.
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
This is another example of educated individuals being used to undermine teachers’ claims for increased salaries DEAR EDITOR, GHK Lall’s recent letter in which he claims that teachers are asking too much, is another example of intelligent, educated individuals in the pay of the administration being used to undermine teachers’ claims for increased salaries, attempting to dupe this group and the working masses into accepting less than their just due. These individuals will agree that teachers are justly deserving their increases, but turn around to say that they’re asking for ‘too much’. Lall, who has apparently disregarded information in the press even though he has claimed otherwise, must know that paying teachers their proposed salary increases is a matter of policy, fiscal policy, in particular, where other expenditure items have to be considered in terms of their effectiveness in meeting desired social needs (versus government’s harebrained ideas on ‘national development’). Paying teachers and other public servants salaries adjusted to reflect a ‘living wage’ has been long a priority, and overdue, and has been dragged underfoot for a number of reasons including, 1) union leaders selling out workers, 2) workers’ general dissatisfaction with, and lack of
confidence in union representation, and general lack of commitment by successive governments to provide much-needed relief to workers, going back to the 90s. For Lall’s information, not only the forty percent for 2016, but the entire initial proposal submitted by the GTU is truly reflective of the real demands of teachers. Their position would have been strengthened had they provided a justified ‘living wage’ upon which to base their claims, but enough analyses are nevertheless available to support their claims. On the issue of affordability, the entire country cannot afford not to pay teachers and other public servants their salary increases, because the social costs have proven to be already more than society can bear, but are forced to. This includes the cost of corruption across the entire public sector, the instances of domestic violence that result from financial stress in homes, the alternative lifestyles some workers are forced to adopt to augment their salaries, which lead to a breakdown in families, the loss of lives attributed to poor health care, and not by any means least, the otherwise brilliant children who leave school as uneducated,
unprincipled adults because their parents could not afford to send them to private school, because teachers in the public school system under-teach and withhold the full scope of their service to children. Not to mention crime and the deaths of these governmentgenerated ‘criminals,’ and cost of these loss of lives to their families. All accumulated over the decades for which workers have been underpaid. If the number of unprepared children leaving school annually even after CXC is roughly 8,000, close to 160,000 adults with dependents over the last twenty years or so are on the streets across the country unable to secure proper jobs, hustling with whatever they can to make ends meet every day, not paying NIS, taxes etc. These are among the very individuals Granger has been advocating to ‘buy bicycles, boats and buses,’ I think it was, instead of ‘depending’ on government. The man’s Bs programme is apparently the mechanism upon which the Coalition Administration depends to lift Guyana out of our economic punishment, all resulting from the PNCs earlier 28 years, and bring us into the 21st century. This administration is clueless about the responsibility of government in an (Continued on page 7)
Sunday September 02, 2018
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Nagamootoo has betrayed sugar workers and is now betraying teachers DEAR EDITOR, It has been nine months since government promised to pay sugar workers their severance. Since 2015, teachers multiyear agreement expired and APNU+AFC promised that they would negotiate a new agreement. Throughout such repulsive behaviour from APNU+AFC, the so-called champion for sugar workers and teachers has been totally silent. Moses Nagamootoo has no shame. Just as he betrayed the sugar workers, now he has betrayed the teachers. He is silent still, even as President Granger continues the assault on sugar workers by not addressing the nonpayment of their severance and even as Granger refuses to intervene to stop the teachers strike. He is playing the “Followthe-Leader� game: just as Granger is asking sugar workers and teachers to have patience, Nagamootoo wants the sugar workers and teachers to be patient. Last week Friday, Nagamootoo reached new lows in the abyss of shame. At an award event for teachers, Nagamootoo demanded that teachers must patiently wait until government is ready to give teachers a raise. Worse, he tried to justify why the President and the Cabinet had to raise their salaries be-
tween 50 and 100% almost immediately after the new Cabinet started to work in May 2015. In effect, he was saying that the Minister with their monthly million-dollar salaries could not wait, but that teachers with their low salaries must bear their chafe and wait. He told the teachers that they earn an average of $US350 per month, when he, Nagamootoo, only earned $US30 per month almost 50 years ago. In effect, he told them that they were ungrateful, that if he sacrificed earning $US30 per month, why can they not be patient with $US350 per month. The man is utterly shameless. The teachers collective bargaining agreement ended since December 2015. That agreement ended a ten-year arrangement in which teachers agreed to two five-year agreements with the PPP covering various areas, including annual salary increases and non-salary benefits. It was during those agreements that benefits such as attendance to university, teachers training, duty-free vehicles, housing funds etc. were introduced. There were agreed annual salary increases. None of these led to salaries and benefits that teachers deserve, but steady improvements were being accomplished. Even if teachers did not get 100% of what they deserved
then, they were treated with respect and dignity. It should be noted that teachers on more than one occasion threatened to strike under the PPP government. But because of responsible behaviour on the part of the Ministry of Education, the teachers union and the government, those strikes were averted and there were agreements, particularly those two five-year deals. It should also be noted that while salaries of teachers averaged about $US30 per month when Nagamootoo started teaching about 50 years ago, it was about $US10 in 1990. That is the base, which the PPP inherited and raised it to where it is today. Since 2015, APNU+AFC kept promising the teachers that they would engage them to discuss their salary increases and benefits in a new multi-year agreement. Just like President Granger is trying to convince us all that it is difficult for him to find time to hold press conferences, so too his government refused to meet with teachers for more than three years. APNU+AFC, through its Minister of Education, persistently asked the teachers to
be patient. The teachers have been patient. When in 2017, the teachers appealed to President Granger that their salary and non-salary benefits be addressed and that the government keep their promise of a new multi-year agreement to replace the one that ended in 2015, Granger promised them that that would be done immediately. But he demanded a Task Force to make recommendations. The Task Force was appointed by the President and included mostly his people. The Task Force made its recommendation and presented to the government more than six months ago. The teachers did not concoct the 40% increase request from thin air; they used the recommendation from Granger’s Task Force. President Granger, the Minister of Education and APNU+AFC promised the teachers that they will act on the Task Force recommendation. In 1999, the PPP had agreed to a Task Force for public servant salaries. The PPP at the time was agreeable to a salary of 5-8%, arguing that any increase above 5% would stress the
budget. But the Task Force recommended 31% across the board. The PPP respected the recommendation and implemented it. APNU+AFC, on the contrary, has simply threw their Task Force recommendation out into the dump. They have not only broken their promise, they have betrayed the teachers because, when the teachers accepted the Task Force, it was on the premise that the recommendations would be binding on both sides. This is not the first time that APNU+AFC has broken promises to teachers. They had promised teachers during the election campaign in 2015 that all teachers would benefit from a 20% annual increase during their first term. They also promised teachers large increases and better benefits in their manifesto. During the election campaign, David Granger himself promised that teach-
ers deserve to be among the highest paid public servants. Those promises have been shelved and forgotten. Teachers have been betrayed. Now the only thing APNU+AFC is willing to deliver is a demand for teachers to be patient. Throughout all of the shenanigans, Nagamootoo has been silent, until last Friday, when he came out and asked for the teachers to be patient. Teachers have had no salary increase since 2015, just like sugar workers. In that time, Government food and entertainment bill has increased by more than $8B annually, internal travelling has increased by more than $1B annually, international travel has increased by several billions annually. Corruption is responsible for many billions each year. The temerity of Nagamootoo asking for patience by teachers is simply overbearing. Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
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A slap in the face of domestic violence victims DEAR EDITOR, It is a stinging slap in the face for all victims of domestic violence and a cruel joke on society when the courts of Guyana give convicted domestic violence abusers ‘slap on the wrist’ sentences. These days, almost every politician, high official, every religious leader and ‘dogooder’ in society is bawling about domestic violence. Even President David Granger has given his two cents on this issue. He is right to talk about it; all of them are right to speak out. But the result of many domestic violence cases in our courts makes nonsense of such talk and turns their utterances into outbursts of hot air. The nation does not need a lecture from me or anyone else to know about the enormously evil impact of domestic violence on society and the vicious cycle of abuse it creates from generation to generation. Evidence of the upheaval and trauma such abuse causes in victims’ lives, in communities and in the country is all around, including our painful personal observations of abusers and victims in our midst. Mere words cannot adequately express the enormous pain and suffering inflicted on victims of domestic violence, who are usually vul-
nerable women and children, by perpetrators who are usually sadistic adult males. Since the systematic torture of domestic violence victims is often unreported and unpunished, the least we expect is justice to be done in the minority of cases that actually reach court. I can state categorically that this is not happening in Guyana. Many domestic violence victims are victimised several times over at every step of the nation’s weak and heavily compromised justice system. I can give literally dozens of examples, but a recent case at the court stands out as a classic example of the justice system failing miserably while victims of domestic violence suffer endlessly. The facts of the case are on public record; I did not make them up. Therefore, I am calling on all media houses to investigate the bizarre case of a prominent Guyanese citizen who has lots of money, or makes it appear so, who appeared before a court recently and was convicted on a charge related to domestic violence. I want the media’s court reporters to check their sources and verify that the presiding magistrate in this case only fined the filthy-rich convicted abuser a pittance for slaking his thirst for do-
mestic violence and possibly causing permanent damage to the psyche of his victim. The media should also check with the police, neighbours, etc. to find out if this same convicted abuser publicly beat and humiliated his ex-wife, and if he recently kidnapped her and their children, brutalized them and put a loaded gun to the children’s heads. Let the media verify if the victims were only released after this unspeakable act was exposed on Facebook and other social media. Check Facebook; it is there. I was brought up to believe in the old saying, “justice must not only be done, it must also appear to be done.” But my faith in this saying has been severely shaken by the outcome of the recent case and several other cases of domestic violence in local courts in which, as far as I can see, justice was not done and definitely did not appear to be done. What makes this so despicable, painful, disgusting and annoying to me and others who are genuinely committed to fighting against domestic violence, is the fact that Government and various human rights agencies in Guyana are spending countless millions of dollars every year to combat this evil, only for the courts to slap victims’ faces by giving convicted abusers ridiculously light sentences. It makes no sense for the President and others to talk endlessly about getting rid of domestic violence if the po-
lice are not on board and the courts are not on board. In this scenario, talk is not going to solve anything. The only thing that will help is to hold the magistracy and judiciary accountable for injustices inflicted by courts on victims of domestic abuse. Cruel persons with money who are bereft of principles and dignity can pour out money and compromise some police officers and some in the judicial process. I always say judges and magistrates are lawyers, and lawyers usually like to collect fees. I once saw a prosecutor who is known to be dynamic and eloquent in court suddenly transform herself into a meek, lost, mumbling imbecile when she had to prosecute a particular case involving a wealthy family. Everyone knew she deliberately underperformed to help the rich family win the case because she was compromised. Do not underestimate the people sitting in a court! Cruel beasts with lots of money who have a depraved appetite to rape and torture women, little girls, little boys and even babies are getting a sick message loud and clear from our courts—even if their crimes are reported and they go to court they will get off with a slap on the wrist. Until this atrocity is eliminated, there will be no human rights, no justice and no peace in Guyana. Sincerely, Roshan Khan Snr.
MR. LYTE HAS HIS WORK CUT OUT DEAR EDITOR, The present imbroligo between the GTU and the Govt leaves more questions than answers. Clearly! The government having decried the wages that teachers were receiving in their election campaign as being inadequate seems hell bent on keeping it that way. GTU leader, Mark Lyte said, “When it comes to salary increases, de-bunching, clothing allowances, they are not prepared to budge”. So far, the Government is only “committed to paying teachers a $700 million oneoff pay out and once agreed upon, a specialist will be contracted to determine a suitable percentage increase. Teachers are not silly, they know that the phrase, “a specialist to determine a suitable percentage increase”, is a sham. It’s the Government’s method of placing an issue on the proverbial “back burner”. I don’t recall the Government hiring a specialist to determine the 50% increase that they gave themselves! The Task Force that was set up to solve the issue of salary increase for teachers had recommended the 40% increase for 2016 and 5% yearly after, which the GTU is initially asking for. The Government’s refusal to heed the recommendation of its own Task Force is indicative that the Task Force was used to filibuster on the issue since last year- now the pretence moves to hiring a “specialist to determine a suitable percentage increase.” Can you believe how silly they think the teachers and their union are? Lyte found it expedient to initiate strike action, hoping the Government would have been induced to deliver something of substance. That did not happen. Instead the Minister of Education went through a rigmarole about how much Government is spending on education and teachers. Minister Henry said,
“We have been developing them (teachers) and making them even more marketable”. Obviously! If a product is made more marketable, it should command a higher price - not so for the poor teachers! It’s difficult to comprehend Henry’s deranged logic! When asked if the Government has any contingency plan in the face of an impending strike action by teachers, the Minister said that there is always a “contingency plan.” She added, “Even before we were born, those before us set up institutions and instruments by which we are guided, so they knew that when things happen, you had to have something in place…they made those provisions, so when the need arises, we have to activate them. That can’t change, that’s life.” Clearly, Minister Henry showed no intention of cutting the union any slack. The stalemate has reached a point where the MoSP wants mediation while the union wants arbitration. MoSP wants the strike to be called off before arbitration begins. This reminds me of an incident. In the absence of a union, a worker sought to represent his co-workers, who were always heckling among themselves. So, he went to the Boss and said, “Boss this wuk hard bad, all the boys them say you should use you conscience and give we something more.” The Boss responded, “so if me na give you all anything more, wha you all gone do?” The worker said, “Aah! Well boss, we gon ga fo wuk fo the same thing.” Lyte has his job cut out! Those in question may be willing to”wuk fo the same thing” in their quest for their little moment. I hope they don’t make Lyte look like a fool! Rudolph Singh
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A REVIEW OF THE FORENSIC AUDITS ON FIFTY PLUS ORGANISATIONS DEAR EDITOR, Over the past three years, there have been lots of writings and discussions on 50 plus forensic audits which were done b y r e p u t a b l e Accounting/Auditing Firms and Individual Auditors. What has motivated me to write this article is whether forensic audits were actually done on all those organisations. Did we start this audit process on the ‘right track’? It is my view that we must be careful with the use of our existing accounting and auditing terminologies, especially ‘forensic audit’. Further, the purpose of this article is not to criticize those forensic audits but to put forward my understanding of a forensic audit. I have seen some audit reports on line and in my opinion, they can be classified to a large extent as operational
and financial audits in nature. Operational Audit focuses on how an organisation conducts its business, with the objective of recommending improvements, which will increase its economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Economy relates to using the least expensive resources. Efficiency relates to comparisons of input and output. Effectiveness, however, is different and more difficult to assess, it basically implies meeting a goal or an objective. A financial audit focuses on the organisation’s financial statements and the accompanying notes in support of the financial statements. The purpose of this type of audit is to add creditability to the reported financial position, performance and cash flows of the organisation. The financial statements give reasonable assurance not absolute assurance to the users,
This is another example ... From page 4 economy. Furthermore, the money is there. Government has just been spending it on other items, gambling on the gullibility of public servants and their unions. The Coalition Administration got into office with a commitment to comprehensively address public servants’ salaries. They have not. Increasing this component of government expenditure addresses many of our social ills. Furthermore, the entire Guyanese society thinks wages and salaries are a priority, so for the administration to pursue other fiscal measures first is to invite the wrath of voters, as they have already done. Fatally so, I might add. So Mr. GHK is encouraged not to adopt silly positions on matters with which society is already familiar. I’m amazed that SN gives him so much of their print to express his nonsense. Not so much so however, when considering the man is in the pay of the administration. Yours faithfully, Craig Sylvester, Democratic National Congress.
which include regulatory agencies of these statements. Arising from the findings in those two types of audits; it is now left to forensic auditors to determine whether such an audit is required to be undertaken. Generally, a forensic audit is focused on a wide range of investigative work such as the financial affairs of the organisation and is often associated with investigations into fraudulent activity. By and large, investigations are probes, seeking to prove improprieties, that arise out of suspicions and the potential for wrong doing. The types of fraud are normally grouped into three categories, viz. corruption, asset(s) misappropriation and fraudulent financial reporting. There are three types of corruption fraud: conflicts of interest, bribery and extortion. The most common frauds on asset(s) misappropriation(s) are cash theft, fraudulent disbursement, inventory frauds, and misuse of assets by employees for their o w n p e r s onal interest. Fraudulent financial reporting will cause material misstatements on the financial statements. It can include deliberate falsification of accounting records and noncompliance of the Financial
Reporting Standards such as the International Financial Reporting Standards. So far, I have attempted to show how a forensic audit originates. Yes, the Government has fifty plus operational and financial audit reports (perhaps some forensic audit reports), and it is possible that those audits will lead to forensic auditing, which apparently are now underway. The audit techniques should be centered on identifying and gathering the evidence to prove; for example, how long the fraud has been carried out, how it was conducted and c o n ceded by the perpetrators. Evidence may also be gathered to support other issues, which would be relevant in the event of a court case. On the court proceedings, it is imperative that forensic auditors who are called to court are required to present their evidence clearly and professionally, since they may have to simplify complex accounting issues so that non-accountants involved in the court case can understand the evidence and its implications. Having said that, a forensic investigation is a very specialised type of audit engagement, which certainly requires highly skilled auditors who have experience not
only in accounting and auditing techniques, but last but by no means least, in the relevant legal framework. An investigation is likely to ultimately lead to legal proceedings, hence the auditors must be comfortable with appearing in court to explain, among others, how the investigation was conducted and evidence gathered. With regards to the Guyana situation, I leave my readers to judge whether we have an adequate quota of auditors who are highly trained in forensic investigation to do those audits. I should mention that there are specialised forensic audit/accounting firms available glo-
bally. If Guyana is short of such qualified and experienced auditors, then they can be of some assistance not only in conducting audits, but also in providing this much needed specialised training for both our accountants and auditors. Such training should include, among others, on interviewing and interrogation techniques, and on how to maintain the safe custody of evidence gathered. I close by stating that forensic auditing covers a broad spectrum of activities and is a highly specialised area. Yours faithfully John Seeram
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Sunday September 02, 2018
GRA begins audit process for US$900M pre-contract costs By Kiana Wilburg
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he Guyana Rev enue Authority (GRA) has initiated the audit process for the controversial US$900M precontract costs. This was confirmed yesterday by GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia. The tax chief said that he officially wrote to ExxonMobil for a series of financial documents which would show costs incurred from 1999 to 2016. He said, “Pre-contract costs are not something that is unusual to the oil industry. These are costs which were incurred and our Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) would have allowed for the operator to recover it. I am confident in the ability of our agency to get this job done. Our audit will help to determine if costs were inflated, among other things.” International lawyer, Melinda Janki, was one of the
GRA Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia first persons to note that the country is neck-deep in US$900M worth of pre-contract costs. During a panel discussion on Guyana’s oil contract with ExxonMobil at Moray House, Janki reminded that the coun-
try has to pay US$460M in pre-contract costs. This covers the period 1999 to 2015. But there is a second lot. Janki noted that the contract specifically states that Guyana is to pay contract costs from January 2016 to when the deal was signed on October 7, 2016. The international lawyer said, “The costs for the whole of 2016 were about US$583M and if you apportion it to October, you get roughly US$400M. Again, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman has agreed for Guyana to pay this. As at October 7, 2016, Government’s attempt to sell our oil costs us US$900M. I have found no law which gives the minister the authority to burden the nation with this, so it is quite possible that he acted illegally.” (See
link for more details: https:// w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / jerome.edwards.925/videos/ 2144978259094356/) In his earlier writings on the petroleum sector, Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram had also pointed out that there was a second set of pre-contract costs specified in the 2016 Agreement signed by Minister Trotman. Speaking with Kaieteur News on the matter, Ram said his examination of the financial statements of ExxonMobil’s partners (Esso and CNOOC/NEXEN and Hess), the second element of pre-contract cost for the period January 1, 2016 to the execution date of the 2016 Contract - sometime in October 2016 - could range anywhere between G$75B to G$100B or roughly US$375 to US$500M. He noted therefore that Janki’s estimates are within reason and that it is up to Exxon as the Operator to disprove these amounts. Significantly, Ram pointed out that the Government ought to have been aware of the exact amount for the second set of pre-contract costs since Annex C to the 2016 Agreement required that those costs be provided to Trotman before October 31, 2016 and agreed on or before April 30, 2017. Ram expressed fear that neither the US$460 million which in his opinion is substantially and improperly inflated - nor the additional US$375M to US$500 M, has been subject to any verification, let alone audit.
Sunday September 02, 2018
China’s Belt and Road will not impoverish Guyana; our eyes are wide open – Pres. Granger
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he Coalition Government recognizes that Guyana needs infrastructure in order to develop. President David Granger said that this is the main reason Guyana is courting China under the umbrella of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Head of State said this at a press conference he held on Friday—the first one in nearly two years. At that forum, Granger told the media that Guyana is going to be prudent in its approach to projects under the Belt and Road Initiative which is developing a reputation on the international stage as a debt trap for small nations of interest to China. However, the President said that he is not worried about what is going on in other jurisdictions; his focus is on Guyana. Granger noted that Guyana’s relations with China go way back. He recalled that this country was the first English-speaking nation in Caribbean to establish relations with China. “We always had cordial relations. We never varied our commitment to the One China policy.” That policy is rooted in the fact that Guyana supports China’s claim to Taiwan.
Granger was keen to note, “The project that is under consideration now is a concept paper.” He also said, “I am not worried about what happens in other countries. There is the saying, ‘beware if you are going to take a loan or enter into an agreement with a foreign country.’ You have to take care that you get the best deal for your people.” The President continued, “So there is no concept or prospect of extravagance. If other countries have had financial difficulties I cannot explain how much they borrowed, why they borrowed, what they intend to do with it. Right now Argentina is facing financial difficulties which have nothing to do with the Chinese Belt and Road project.”The President stressed that many countries are facing economic difficulties “so I do not feel it is fair to blame one project for the plight of so many different countries.” He was reacting to the fact that many countries took China’s money and cannot repay. They are so indebted that China is taking control of the assets in that borrowing country. Granger said that the government “must go into these agreement with its eyes
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wide open.” He said that there is need for infrastructure. “Our longest river is 1000 kilometres long—the Essequibo—but there is not a single bridge. We have to build a bridge. We have to build a railway or a road link to the Rupununi which is our largest region. “We cannot develop without infrastructure and we just do not have the capital to do it on our own. So whether it comes from America, China or Britain we have to have it, and of course we have to look for the best deal. But I am not saying that the agreement that was signed is something that will impoverish the Guyanese nation. I cannot say that.” He assured that any agreement he signs will not impoverish the people of Guyana.
DEM BOYS SEH
Soulja Bai mek dem boys really proud
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rogress is impos sible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. Is an old man tell dem boys that. Soulja Bai mek some changes in the police force that gat three-quarters of Guyana laughing. In fact dem boys support that move and very proud of him. Well Soulja Bai mek dem boys proud last week. De fuss thing he do that please dem boys was when he shake up de police force. He know that things had gone from bad to worse in de force. Seeall, de last Top Cop, give licence to heself. He think he was almighty. He licence heself till he believe he was bullet proof. Everybody know wha happen to him. This last one tek over and he use to shout at dem same Commanders wha become he boss, and chase dem out de office. Is not dem
boys seh suh, is dem same commanders tell dem boys suh. But he forget that de Man Above don’t sleep. De force was very corrupt. Police doing investigation and mekking evidence disappear when people give dem money. Dem boys hope and pray that this shake up will bring about a 180-degree turnaround. Dem boys hear through de grapevine how a shake up in the Cabinet is also in de making. But wha mek dem boys really proud was when Soulja Bai seh he gun open he eye wide whenever or if ever he tekking money or got to sign a contract wid China. Everybody remember Jagdeo. When he sign that US$150 million airport deal wid China his eyes was shut and ee pockets was wide open. He did almost de same thing wid de US$200M Skeldon Plant. De difference was this time he had a suit-
case wid him. To this day de only thing de plant does do is generate some current fuh couple house in Berbice. And as fuh de airport, Guyana still waiting to see that Africa hub wha China tell him fuh tell de Guyanese people. One odda thing dem boys happy about is when Soulja Bai tell de nation at ee press conference that come October all de questions on oil and gas that people and de media was asking and talking about will be answered. He seh he put a team of experts in OP to educate him and to guide him. At least de Guyanese nation can feel some relief wid dem words coming from de Head of State because fuh a long time dem boys believe he was getting deaf, dumb and blind. Talk half and if he continue at this rate, he will get a second term.
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GTU heartened that govt. trying to locate funds to pay salary increase
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lthough the Guyana Teachers’ Union [GTU] sees President David Granger’s remarks that government is looking to augment its initial offer to teachers as a “glimmer of hope”, it is yet disappointed that government’s focus continues to be on a single year [2018]. At a press conference Friday, the Head of State said that his government is working towards meeting the salary demands of teachers and is therefore looking at fresh sources of funding to do this. “We are a little hopeful...that efforts are being made to find money to make an offer that is a glimmer of hope that we have, and we hope that when that money is found that they will engage us from the 2016 period so that we can move forward,” Lyte shared. He is however fearful that by focusing on a single year, government is on a mission to disregard the other years that the union has proposed salary increases for. “The union is still anticipating a multi-year agreement...you see the ploy is if we start from 2018 they will disregard the earlier years and this has implications for the debunching monies as well... It is a deliberate attempt to shy away from that responsibility of paying the previously agreed position,” said Lyte. In its salary proposal for public school teachers, which
was submitted to government in November 2015 when a previous agreement with the former administration ended, the union had proposed that government consider the payment of debunching monies owed to teachers since 2011. The payment of debunching monies is expected to see teachers being placed on specific salary scales based not only on their qualifications, but also their years of experience for the years negotiated for ahead of 2018 [2016 and 2017]. Moreover, teachers will be short-changed if government pays them their debunching monies and salaries are only hiked for 2018. The union had brought to the table a proposal asking for a 40 percent increase for teachers for 2016, which was endorsed by a Task Force established by government in addition to a five percent increase for the following four years [2017-2020]. “It was always 40 percent we proposed, and it was just a proposal, and the union was always open to the option of negotiating downwards after Cabinet would have looked at it and brought a position and a percentage to the table from 2016, because what we were looking at is a higher percentage on the 2016 salary, and we subsequently accepted smaller percentages,” Lyte explained. According to Lyte, since this position was brought to
- but extremely disappointed only 2018 under consideration
GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte the negotiation table to which government was well represented, “we are very disappointed that the Head of State could say at his press conference that the negotiation was only for one year”. At his press conference, President Granger said, “At this stage the immediate need is for us to conclude an agreement which would see the teachers calling off the strike and entering into long term negotiations for that multiyear agreement”. He however admitted that government has not yet embarked on the multi- year negotiations although, “I think it is desirable and we have not had that opportunity to complete those talks as yet. Right
President David Granger now people are preoccupied with almost day-to-day issues. I personally believe a multi-year agreement is desirable to have, but this is not the time now.” But the GTU President stressed, “We are extremely disappointed by such revelations, and we are taken aback by the statement, because we believe everybody on the government side and the entire Cabinet, the Task Force and everybody, were aware that the negotiations was for
a multi-year agreement because that was put forward. Saying at this point that the negotiations were for just one year came as a surprise and we are utterly disappointed that it has come down to this in the long run.” Lyte asserted too that government cannot claim that there was a deficiency of information during the process even as he pointed out, “we provided all information needed to justify what we asked for and this was included in the report of the Task Force.” “If government was in need of additional information then that should have been requested; whatever the Task Force requested us to put forward as justification, we did supply those and they were even included in the Appendix of the report submitted to government,” Lyte added. Given the continued state of affairs, the GTU President said that the union will continue to move forward with strike action. “Our teachers, those in support of the strike, will not be reporting to work until an agreement is brokered,” said
Lyte, as he reassured of the union’s commitment to provide strike relief to teachers on strike. “All our teachers on strike will be given strike relief once they participate,” said Lyte, as he disclosed that the union has also written to the various institutions such as stores and financial institutions asking for them to be lenient with teachers should their salaries be cut during their strike engagement. However, Lyte reiterated that should the government make an offer to the union that will bring an end to strike action “our terms of resumption is that teachers will not be victimised and that there be an agreement for no salary cut.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
US$200M drilling fluids plant at Houston gets ready to pump - GAFOORS RELOCATES TO MCDOOM MEGA COMPLEX
The McDoom mega complex of Gafoors.
The changing face of the former Gafoors Mall location at Houston, with the Schlumberger tanks near the Demerara River.
A US$200M plant to cater for the drilling activities of ExxonMobil and the Liza1 activities is revving up to start operations at Houston, East Bank Demerara. It would rate as one of the largest investments for services in relation to the ongoing oil activities. ExxonMobil and its partners have announced that production of oil in its offshore Stabroek block, where large finds have been made, will be in early 2020. The production will be the first for Guyana. Officials said over the weekend that about US$40M of the investments were spent directly using local labour and services. The Houston, Texash e a d q u a r t e r e d Schlumberger Limited purchased a large part of the Gafoors complex, earlier this year, starting work soon after in the wharf area. Continued on page 13
Sunday September 02, 2018
US$200M drilling fluids plant at... From page 12 Schlumberger has a regional office in Trinidad. Over the past few months, the company has been building the facilities, using local contractor, Gaico, and others for the works. During that time, Gafoors, which took the risk more than a decade ago to move out of town to Houston, has been building a mega complex behind McDoom, less than half a mile away. The McDoom location for the hardware giant falls strategically in the area that Government had been planning to land a new Demerara River bridge. The fluids or the special
mud are critical to the process of drilling oil and natural gas wells. The main functions of drilling fluids include providing hydrostatic pressure to prevent formation fluids from entering into the well bore, keeping the drill bit cool and clean during drilling, carrying out drill cuttings, and suspending the drill cuttings while drilling is paused and when the drilling assembly is brought in and out of the hole.
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Kaieteur News
Schlumberger’s presence in the Houston area will raise the strategic importance of the Houston area. Already, another international service provider, TotalTec, which offers support to the oil and gas industry, is in the Houston area, to the north of Schlumburger. To the south of Schlumberger, is Guyana Shore Base Inc., located in the Muneshwer’s compound. Officials told Kaieteur
Habits are not the product of one decision — They’re the result of repeated choices that eventually become automatic responses. How can you know your true spiritual condition? By the company you keep and the choices you make. When you’re free to go, where do you choose to go? Whose company do you prefer?
News that ExxonMobil had been sourcing the drilling fluids from Trinidad for its exploration of several wells.
It was the idea that Schlumberger would have taken up the supply from September 1st. It is expected
that the Houston complex, with the completed facilities, will be commissioned in a matter of days.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
Sunday September 02, 2018
Kaieteur News
PAGE 15
Boy, 12, among school's top CSEC performers
From page 2 Grade two in Mathematics, English A and Principles of Accounts,” Morgan said Meanwhile, fourteen year-old Chirag Chandwani, who has his mind firmly set on achieving a new world record for the youngest qualified accountant, also performed well at CAPE. Chandwani made headlines a few years ago, when he wrote CSEC at just 12 years old. He acquired a distinction in Principles of Accounts. It was the first time he wrote the examinations. The young top achiever has since attained Grade 1 for Mathematics and Grade 2 for English A at CSEC, before moving on to record passes at CAPE. This year, the youngster was able to secure passes Integrated Mathematics and Accounting Unit 1 at CAPE. He acquired a Grade three and Grade two in the subject areas respectively. The lad's father, Davidas Chandwani noted that his son's work regimen included early morning and late evening extra lessons at MLC. He would leave in the mornings, be at Morgan's for 6:30 am, and then leave there to arrive at school at 8:00 am. Then he would return to lessons at 7:00 pm. The younger
Chandwani said that he is grateful to God, his family, and teachers for their support in his academics. Lydia Reid noted that for the past two years, she has been attending MLC, on a full time basis. She started out only attending lessons at Morgan's. She explained however that the MLC experience opened new areas of learning to her and boosted her confidence.“The experience has helped me get to a higher level, not only in my studies but also in my personal life. The family environment here has helped me to be more confident and develop in the areas of public speaking, an area which was not really my strong point. And as I became a full time student at MLC, I learned that it was not just about making my mark in school but my development as a whole person,” she added. Reid acquired passes in Mathematics, Geography, Spanish, Economics, Integrated Science, History, Social Studies, English A, and English B . The teen expressed gratitude to her teachers. “I would like to thank my teachers for their support. I know that they really worked hard with me to ensure that I did my best. They were very patient with me.
They ensured that I understood topics that I found difficulty with in regular school. The teenager expressed gratitude for her family support as well. “Because of the support I received from my school and family I was able to excel,” she added.Orin Morgan, Director of MLC noted that the main objective is for students to produce results. “Our qualified and experienced teaching staff follows the latest teaching methodologies to help our students produce these results, “he said adding that MLC remains resolute in his objective to shape the character of his students. MLC opened its doors in 2013, offering CSEC tuition for Forms 1 – 5 in a variety of subjects including English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Information Technology, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Office Procedures, Social Studies and Spanish. The centre also provides CAPE lessons for a number of subjects, including Communication Studies, Sociology, Management of Business, and Accounting. The school has since enhanced its operations by opening a multimillion-dollar edifice, at Lot 46 Durban Street, Lodge Georgetown.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
Work begins on Sheriff St./Mandela Ave upgrade
The ongoing works, at the northern end of Sheriff Street, near to the seawall. Rehabilitation work on the $6.4Billion Sheriff/Mandela Road upgrade project has begun. The project is being carried out in phases beginning with drainage works and the relocation of pipes/utilities. Acting Project Manager for the Donor Programme at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Mark Green told the Department of Public Information that contractor Sinohydro Corporation Limited is currently cleaning all the canals and doing sand filling to facilitate the installation of the new pipes and fittings. “Once we complete the drains and pipe works we’ll then start the embankment work which is to excavate the earth with the sand, loam and crusher run. From then we’ll get a repaired surface on which we’ll build the sidewalks and parking lanes. Once that is completed then we will look to do the pavement rehabilitation,” Green explained
The ministry has since also said that traffic will be monitored in order to minimize disruptions during the peak periods of 07:00hrs to 09:00hrs, and 15:00 to 17:00hrs. “Road users are advised to, as best as possible, avoid this section of Sheriff Street and use alternative roads in the vicinity of Sheriff Street…” The alternative roads include Conversation Tree, Bel Air; Railway Embankment Roadway; Church Road, Subryanville and David Street, Kitty. The current roadway of Sheriff Street/ Mandela Avenue is currently in a deplorable state.It is a key artery, linking the East Coast to the East Bank of Demerara. The upgrade will complement another critical linkage, the Ogle bypass which will link the East Bank to East Coast via a new road to be built behind the housing schemes starting at Diamond.
Sunday September 02, 2018
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Kaieteur News
---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---
Why even a less vibrant WPA disturbs part of the Guyanese elite political psyche? By Dr. David Hinds
T
he recent proposal by Professor Clive Thomas and the WPA that cash transfers to Guyanese households be considered as part of government’s plan for distributing the imminent oil revenues has once again brought that party into the spotlight. Instead of intelligently discussing the proposal, some politicians and commentators have re sorted to attacking the WPA. I have long concluded that the continued presence of the WPA, even in a less than vibrant state, disturbs part of the Guyanese elite political psyche. In many respects I think the WPA is the embodiment of the Guyanese complexity—it is not a straightforward formation. Every society must grapple with its complexities at one level or the other. After all, societies are made up of and defined by the activities of humans who are ultimately complex beings. Whatever the shortcomings of Guyana’s media, it is characterized by vigorous political advocacy, debate and commentaries. The letter sections of our newspapers, for example, are about the most vibrant you will find anywhere in the world. We have some of the most erudite and enlightened columnists and commentators who often manage to put their fingers on the pulse of our politics. Yet, these very commentators find ways to undermine their own enlightenment when faced with our complex political realities. In the end, Guyanese politics have remained imprisoned by our collective insecurities and fears. The sometimes-enlightened public discourse has not been translated into a lasting enlightened politics. I think a large part of it has to do with our readiness to fit our thinking about the national condition into fixed
models. It is as if we, as a nation, are mortally afraid to explore and expand our horizons. It is amazing, how even when we are armed with the breath of and distance afforded by history, we find ways to get ourselves stuck in old ways of understanding social and political reality. Sometime ago a young man asked me to explain w h y, i f t h e WPA i s n o longer a vibrant party, do commentators spend so much time discussing and analyzing it. He wanted to know if there is something hidden about the WPA t hat the general public does not know. Another young person enquired whether I would respond to the incessant charges that the WPA now supports the PNC, a party that it once fought. These two queries reflect how our public discourse could misinform and confuse our younger generations. I have said before that the problem analysts have with analyzing and situating the WPA is that the party upsets the framework which we have used to explain Guyanese politics. In other words, in the context of Guyanese politics, it’s an atypical political formation. The framework we have used explains our politics as a persistent struggle for power between the PPP and the PNC which is occasionally disturbed by a third-party that bursts unto the scene, wins a few seats at an election, and then fades away. This scenario is grounded in our almost permanent and unchanging ethnic condition, in which our major ethnic groups behave as racial enemies. So, the United Force came on the scene, representing mostly Amerindian and Portuguese interests, won seats at both the 1964 and 1968 elections, went into government as part of a coalition with the PNC and was eventually consumed by PNC hegemony. The AFC followed the same
pattern—it burst on to the scene in 2006, attracted largely PNC dissident voters and won some seats. This scenario was repeated in 2011—this time with dissident PPP voters. In 2015, it went into a coalition with the PNC-dominated APNU and many commentators have anticipated a similar fate to that of the UF five decades ago. While the UF and the AFC have electorally disturbed the twoparty ethnic electoral system, they failed to inflict permanent damage and ended up helping the PNC to assume power in place of the PPP. The above scenario r e p r e s e n t s a relatively straightforward framework in which to explain our otherwise complex politics. The problem for the analyst is to figure out how to fit the WPA into that framework. Like the UF and the AFC, it’s a third-party, but unlike them, it never did well at elections. Yet its influence on the overall Guyanese post-colonial political praxis is as indelible as the two titans—PPP and PNC. I submit that this has to do with the nature of the WPA’s intervention and its threat to the status quo. Unlike the UF and the AFC, the WPA’s intervention threatened and at one point rattled the status quo in a deep, radical manner that pushed the country into the sphere of revolution. And those of us who have studied revolutions know that that phenomenon haunts the society in permanent ways. Societies eventually forget elections, but never forget revolutionary moments and those who facilitate those moments. That’s why the WPA never goes away, even when some people kill it, read the obituary and seal the tomb. It’s why the PPP rails at Clive Thomas over Guysuco and SARA or at Ogunseye or Hinds or even former WPA members, over any and every-
The Baccoo Speaks Life can be brutal for some hard-working people. The rampaging young men will attack another household but within days they will be arrested. One homeowner would identify three of them from a line-up. Immediately the new commissioner would be lauded for the work he has begun to put in. ** There will be another road accident caused by a careless
driver. There will be a traffic jam and this errant driver
would try to force his way out by driving on the curb, striking another vehicle and a nearby pedestrian. The police would throw the book at him. ** An accident at a home would put some people in hospital. A stairway would collapse even as some people are sitting on it. A child would crash to the ground and would need medical attention.
thing they say and do. It’s why the leadership of the present government tries at every twist and turn to contain the WPA both as a party and as individuals. It’s why the PPP uses Walter Rodney to beat the PNC and the PNC seeks to assassinate him every day and render him invisible. It’s why no other party in our modern history is reminded so much about its roots. There is a lot that WPA has in common with the larger political culture, but there is a lot about that culture that it has stood on the other side of. Sometimes we are too quick to get in front of history. Sometimes we want it both ways—we want to declare an organi-
zation irrelevant or dead and at the same time want to blame that same irrelevant organization for the ills of the country. How many times we hear the WPA being asked why the party has not spoken on this or that issue? While other parties can be silent, the WPA is expected by some to speak out on everything. Time moves on. The world changes and so do Guyana and its politics. But, in the end, if the PPP and the PNC represent the hegemonic instincts of our two major ethnic groups, and the UF and AFC represent moments of electoral revolt against that hegemony, the WPA, despite its failings and its greatly reduced activism, represents a
Dr David Hinds radical resistance praxis that always threatens to manners the entrenched political culture. Give thanks to the WPA. More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
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Kaieteur News
The kidnapping of Roy Bell By Michael Jordan
O
n Saturday, April 12, 2003, 16-yearold School of the Nations student Roy Bell and a brother entered a car outside the family’s Lot 178 Sunflower Circle, South Ruimveldt home. They then headed to a city school, where they picked up Roy’s girlfriend. Afterwards, the brother dropped off Roy and his friend at a fast food outlet on Vlissengen Road. At around 13:30 hrs, Roy Bell and the female friend caught a Route 40 bus and headed to the East Bank Demerara bus park, where the girl joined another bus. Roy reportedly told his girlfriend that he was heading home. He never turned up. Later that day, the phone rang in the Bells’ South Ruimveldt home. When a family member picked up the phone, the unknown caller stated that he had kidnapped Roy Bell, and demanded $10M for his release. The ‘kidnapper’ gave
the family 48 hours to deliver the ransom. The family also received detailed instructions as to how the cash was to be delivered. It is believed that Roy Bell had identified himself to his kidnappers as Roy Joseph, since the kidnappers had reportedly asked to speak with the boy’s mother, whose maiden name was Joseph. Roy’s uncle, the then Region Eight Chairman Senor Bell, said that the lad’s father, who ran a mining concession, came out of the interior shortly after learning of his son’s abduction. Meanwhile, the Regional Chairman notified Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj and a senior member of the Opposition of his nephew’s abduction. Approached by the press, Bell’s relatives declined comment, saying that they feared that newspaper reports of the abduction would further endanger the teen. By Monday, April 14, the Bells had accumulated the
Roy Bell ransom money. That night, a family friend, who was chosen to deliver the money, left home in a white Toyota Corolla. Persons purporting to be the kidnappers kept in telephone contact with the family friend. The kidnappers instructed the man to first drive around the city. The friend claimed that someone drove behind him constantly. He was then ordered to leave his
car, with keys in the ignition, in Craig Street, Campbellville. On Tuesday, April 15, Senor Bell came to the Kaieteur News Saffon Street office and spoke with me. Just as the interview ended, I got a call that a body had been found on the northern parapet of the Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara public road. There was nothing unusual about that call. It was the period of the ‘crime wave’, as we still call it, when seldom a day went by without an execution or a mass killing. I went to the scene and saw a slightly-built figure in short pants on the parapet. The face and upper body were covered with a suitcase. I took the photograph and went home. It was not until the following day that I learnt that the victim was Roy Bell. I was shaken by that revelation. I had never dreamed that the kidnappers would kill a schoolboy, and in such a cruel fashion. They had gagged him with a piece of cloth, believed to have been torn from his jersey. There were bruises on his body that suggested that he had been beaten. His shoulder blades had been broken. His neck also appeared to
Sunday September 02, 2018
have been broken. An autopsy would later show that he died from suffocation.Detectives recovered the white Toyota Corolla that was used to drop off the ransom in Prashad Nagar. The vehicle was checked for fingerprints and other clues. They found nothing to indicate who the kidnappers were. In hindsight, Senor Bell felt that an effort should have been made to trap the kidnappers when the ransom was being dropped off. No attempt was reportedly made to trail the kidnappers, because the family had feared that this would have further endangered the abducted teen. Mr. Bell suggested that his nephew was killed because he could have identified his kidnappers. “They felt that they had to kill him because they had kidnapped him in the day and he saw their faces.” He ruled out any suggestion that his nephew had been
slain by someone with a grievance against the family. He described the Bells as lawabiding individuals. “We don’t do or carry drugs; my nephew didn’t drink or smoke or do drugs. We handed over the ransom in good faith. Those people have no heart.” At the time, Mr. Bell repeatedly vowed that the deed would not go unpunished. God…how time flies. That was 15 years ago, and we still don’t have a clue who killed 16-year-old Roy Bell, and why they did that pitiless deed, in that period of unprecedented cruelty. If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location. We can be reached on telephone numbers 2258458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or 225-8473. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email addresskamarangnight@gmail.com
Sunday September 02, 2018
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Kaieteur News
==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
The democratic, White world is disappearing There is an outpouring of academic texts about the horrible dangers that have overtaken the world, and most of them do not end on an optimistic note. One can hardly make sense of what the world has become. It frightens you when think of it in the context of the generous era you once belonged to. I got a scholarship to MacMaster University to do my Masters. At that time, the Canadian High Commission was located in the Bank of Guyana building. All I had in my life when I applied for the visa were the clothes on my back. If you had to show any form of money or asset, they would have chased me out of the building. If your parents had to have a reasonably paid job, then I couldn’t get a Canadian visa. I remember the day very well. I wore an old pair of sandals which was all I had as footwear, an old pair of denim jeans and a worn out army jacket. I had a basket hat on my head and of course the usual haversack that all university students carried with them. I walked in and the visa officer was chatting with a White woman. When the woman opened her mouth to speak, it was with a pure Guyanese accent. She was Guyanese Portuguese. The visa officer looked at my scholarship offer, took my passport and I was out of the place in minutes. That world that I saw back
then is now dead. A non-white person faces literally millions of hurdles to get a visa to a developed, white country. It is impossible for any person today whose poor station in life mirrors my own back then to get a Canadian visa armed only with a scholarship letter. I went to Canada when there was a great democratic liberal that ruled it – Pierre Trudeau. The Trudeau species is long gone. I don’t think there is any White politician, including Bernie Sanders in the US or Jeremy Corbin in the UK, that was as great a socialist as Pierre Trudeau. The last time I hung images of great people on my office door was at UG. If I decide to hang a few on my bedroom door, Trudeau will be among the faces. Today, a non-white person in any country in the White, developed world lives in danger of being harassed. All the White countries in my time as a teenager have now descended into serious autocratic lands, some being semifascist, with the exception of Canada. But Canada today is not the same place as under Pierre Trudeau. It was shocking to learn that Canada has refused refugee status to four persons from Sri Lanka and the Philippines respectively, who are facing imprisonment in their respective countries for harbouring Edward Snowden when he was held up in Hong Kong. Has the entire White, developed
world become xenophobic, where non-White people are seen as inferior? The facts are frightening. I grew up with the knowledge that Sweden was one of the freest nations in the entire world and a country that was warm towards non-White people. It had a leader, Olof Palme, who was as great a liberal leader as Pierre Trudeau was. When the American invasion of Grenada took place in 1983, I was offered asylum in Sweden. Today, Sweden has joined the bandwagon of countries where the racist farright is in power. Sweden is
becoming seriously undemocratic and racist. A laid back, Mediterranean country like Italy has elected to power an ugly racist party whose asinine leader reminds one of the rants and rhetoric of Adolf Hitler. Italy’s first African Cabinet minister was called a monkey by a parliamentarian. Last month, a high profile African-Italian athlete was spat on. Last week ugly violence took place in Germany for three consecutive days when neo-Nazis rioted and picked on non-white folks, seriously injuring many. The European
Union requires the practice of democracy, free press, rule of law and free elections as requirements for joining. Poland and Hungary have elected dangerously racist, semi-fascist leaders. In Poland, the rule of law died last month. France elected Macron who wants to give France away to the rich elites. In the US, the farright marchers use the symbol of “blood and soil” in their demonstrations. That symbol was first invented by a minister in the Nazi Government. In what must be a dehumanizing shock to the world, the United
Frederick Kissoon States has become frighteningly racist. I have been reading widely about the increasing fascistization of power in the US. The 1933 racist hate of Nazi Germany has returned in 2018.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
We appeal to our highly valued teachers to bear with us The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has stepped up their agitation in a bid for Ar-
bitration in the fight for new wages and salaries. The single most important setback
is that even if Government tries to meet their 40% demand, the massive strain it will
place on state finances will definitely disadvantage other public servants who also deserve salary increases. The representative union began to take strike action just one week before the opening of hundreds of learning institutions around the country. This may be strategic timing, but we are being reminded over and over that our children will be affected the most by it. It is said that every ‘story’ has more than two sides. In this case it’s the teachers’ justifications, the children whose school year would either be cut short, or they may be left to their own devices in an environment that is supposed to best supervised, or they may be taught by unprepared trainees at least until the industrial action reaches a satisfactory conclusion. Whatever obtains when tomorrow morning dawns, once it is not the status quo, our children will not benefit. Please let this not be misunderstood. The AFC fully supports the rights of every citizen that are enshrined in our Constitution, including the right to strike, but our attention is drawn to Section 38B side-labelled, “The best interest of the child”. That paragraph states: “The best interest of the child shall be the primary consideration … in all matters concerning children, whether undertaken by public or private social welfare institutions, administrative authorities or legislative bodies”. The Constitution also states in 147 (2) that “Except with his or her own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her freedom to strike”. But let’s highlight some realities that directly and indirectly affect the GTU’s de-
mand for a 40 percent pay hike across the board bar nothing. 1. Teachers in most countries continue to lobby for more money not only because of their tremendous responsibility for molding the next generations, but because their salaries are generally low. Remember the Marjorie Stillman Douglas school shooting in Florida, USA last April, and the ripple effect that brought teachers out on strike in at least 8 states for better pay? It seems like governments everywhere have always been unable to pay teachers properly. 2. At home, this Government is stretching the dollars to meet everyone’s needs in all sections of society, while at the same time, trying to build up some sectors (e.g. local manufacturing) which are still lagging behind because for decades they did not have any support at all, not financial or infrastructural. They are only just beginning to climb out. 3. The cycle of life and living keep on turning and the traditional money spinners, e.g. sugar, timber and bauxite have not been performing well. This Government was immediately faced with the realities of Change when we took office in 2015, and there was not half enough money to do what every Guyanese needed to get done. Revenue (foreign exchange) from exported local products took a dive when we lost overseas rice markets, and the bite from the badly crippled sugar industry was sharp. It cut to the bone of our national purse, valued over $32B. 4. Even our timber market took a heavy hit in 2015 when the UK Environment Agency placed a direct ban on Guyana’s highly sought-after
Greenheart wood. Every trading partner with Britain stopped buying from us as a result of that ban. These are just a few of the scenarios that caused the Government to offer GTU $700M to cover across-theboard salary increases, and $200M for de-bunching. The GTU did not accept though, and pressed its demand for 40% across the board. Neither President Granger nor the leader and members of the AFC want a confrontation with our teachers. The nation will not gain anything by it. It’s just that our national purse cannot afford more at this time.However, there is a bit of silver around the clouds these days, a silver lining that will allow better allocations for Educational resources, salaries, new schools, scholarships, universities … but we are not there yet. The purse is still less than half full. We have undertaken a massive restructuring of GuySuco, and many dedicated sugar workers have returned to work. As it relates to bauxite, international market prices for Guyana’s products – RASC, Metal and Chemical grade primary that are arguably the best quality in the world – have been extremely low since the 1990’s. Today however, there are proposals on the table to rebuild a plant to manufacture alumina again, the primary product for aluminum utensils, tools, etc. Timber is inching back, and with a better supply and manageable prices for sawmillers and workers in the construction sector, we will be able to hike the pay of every public servant, from teachers to nurses, law enforcement and road builders. The perennial challenge is satisfying the immediate needs of a multitude of sectors and the people who work in them all at the same time. We have to make it happen sooner rather than later, but the one thing we are sure of is that it will happen. The AFC therefore appeals to our highly valued teachers to bear with us while we repair the damage done to our economy from 23 years of PPP rule; bear with us while we dismantle organized crime and drug trafficking, deal with trafficking in persons, the smuggling of many ounces of gold overseas every week; bear with us as we plug the holes through which the state’s revenue was bleeding. We are making some progress, improving revenue collection in small increments that will rightfully come to you. There is absolutely no argument that our people need better pay, and that is our goal number one.
Sunday September 02, 2018
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Kaieteur News
My column
President Granger’s commitment to avoid the China debt trap
O
ne of the most talked about is sues is the move by China to take possession of the assets of poor countries. This is a common behaviour of people who have tons of money and who want even more. They eye other people’s property and scheme to get that property. In Guyana, many people are battling in the courts to recover their property pilfered by some greedy, moneyed person. In many cases they would arrange with some corrupt officer inside the Deeds Registry to forge transports. The result is that often there are two titles to the property, each duly registered, but inspection often reveals the fraud. There are others who lend money to a borrower who later fails to repay the loan. And this is not the fate of only poor people. I know many people who borrowed so much that when they failed to repay they watched their assets become the possession of others. I will not name any defaulting person, but I am certain that there are many, too numerous to mention. Countries have been known to loan money to poor countries, then move in to claim their assets when these countries fail to repay. At one time the major powers that controlled some poor countries simply capitalized on the resources of the countries and in return, gave them some pittances. When Guyana became independent it got what the then leader, Forbes Burnham, described as a wooden handshake. Suriname, on the other
hand, got a golden handshake—a sum of money from its colonial masters, the Dutch. Today, China is seeking to expand its reach by lending money to many countries. In any cases the loan is so expansive that these countries are now heavily indebted. In Sri Lanka, China took possession of the Hambantota port because Sri Lanka simply could not repay the loan. Such loans have been made to some 80 countries. Pakistan cut back on the loan programme as did some other countries when they awoke to the reality. One such country is Malaysia. The new leader, Mahathir Mohamad, slashed some of the projects that his predecessor entered into with China loans. The contention was that the leader enjoyed kickbacks even as he signed the loan agreements. And that has been the case with many of the other countries whose leaders are undoubtedly corrupt. They borrowed and ensured that whatever the outcome they, the leaders, would be financially stable for the rest of their lives and beyond. China had no worry about the countries’ inability to repay. Rather it is more interested in the assets. Djibouti is one such country. Its position on the Horn of Africa is crucial for military and economic reasons. China knows that and wants that piece of land, much to the chagrin of the United States. And as the rest of the world looked on, Guyana signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China under the same Belt and Road
project that has indebted so many countries. Immediately many became afraid that the coalition government was heading in the same direction of those other poor countries. “Not so,” says President David Granger. He was hosting a rare press conference on Friday at State House. He was clear that he was going into any arrangement with China with his eyes wide open. What was most pleasing was his conviction that what happened to the other countries would not befall Guyana. He could not speak for the other countries, but he knew that any arrangement that Guyana enters into would not indebt Guyana. He said that Guyana needs infrastructure and that it matters not who provides the funding. Suffice it to say that there would be no graft and any loan would not end up in the pockets of corrupt leaders. That was so clear that one must ask about the initial fears. Indeed, Guyana borrowed money for two major projects, the Skeldon Modernisation Project and the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The money came from China and the loan was humongous. Guyana borrowed US$200 million to improve its sugar production. That project is a white elephant like Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port. China took possession of the port in Sri Lanka that like the Skeldon project, is a white elephant. The airport project was another questionable loan. At US$138 million the project sounded alright until other details emerged. There have
been allegations of people getting kickbacks from the Chinese. To compound the situation, Guyana could not walk away from that project simply because the previous government had actually paid money for work not yet completed. The new government had no choice but to continue with this project that is touted to be the hub for flights from Africa. Djibouti’s China-financed project is also touted as a hub. I had cause to examine the way China is moving to expand its global image. I see
the groundswell of Chinese businesses in my corner of the world. I am aware of cheap Chinese products that attract my people and I am also aware of the preponderance of counterfeit goods. That apart, China has long been an ally of Guyana which in fact, was the first Englishspeaking country in the Caribbean region to establish diplomatic relationship with China. That being the case, one would expect a more than friendly relationship. That is why the plight of other countries should escape Guyana,
Adam Harris provided the leadership has the interest of the country at heart. And President Granger has given that assurance.
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Sunday September 02, 2018
Denialism, development and local democracy (H.E. David Granger at the Cuffy 250 State of AfricanGuyanese Forum on August 26, 2018) Guyanese observed the 175th anniversary of the Demerara Revolt last week. They observed the 184th anniversary of the Essequibo Revolt and the 180th anniversary of emancipation from enslavement earlier this month. They celebrated the 180th anniversary of Indian immigration in May. The record of Guyanese
historical achievements is incontrovertible. The nation cannot linger on the past interminably, however; we must think clearly and plan collectively for the future. In so doing, we should not deny the impact of the past on the present and we should not ignore the consequences of our current attitudes and actions for the future. DENIALISM Guyanese, in pursuit of a ‘good life’, ought to avoid the danger of ‘denialism’.
Denialism distorts the reality of present-day conditions. It constructs a false reality and leads, inevitably, to failure. Denialism is a form of selfdeception. We deceive ourselves and others when we deny social reality. Denialism could have deadly consequences. A prominent leader of one country, notoriously, denied the link between Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
That denial cost 330,000 lives owing to his refusal to provide treatment to HIV-infected persons. Other prominent persons have described global warming as an ‘expensive hoax.’ Cigarette manufacturers have long denied the link between smoking and cancer. Denialism has a darker side of self-deception. The deliberate and indiscriminate denigration of whole sections of society also, is a denial of objective reality. The words of a well-known writer are evidence of the danger. He: asserted that African-Guyanese practised ‘selfhatred’; accused AfricanGuyanese of “cultural blindness”; alleged that AfricanGuyanese were “surrendering their collective dignity to the dictates of party politics”; attacked AfricanGuyanese for “losing faith in the ability to overcome” and of “dumping the emancipation spirit;” and claimed that “There has been no bigger sinner against the blackman, since Emancipation, than the blackman himself.” There has been no credible research to explain these reckless pronouncements. National problems cannot be resolved by inventing fake theories which refute reality and impede the process of solving the problems which confront society. Causation of pervasive social problems needs to be determined before correct solutions can be sought and implemented. Some facts, for example, are that: the rate of school ‘dropouts’ is at least seven students per day, with the highest incidence being in public secondary schools where at least five students drop out every day; 2,669 students have been reported to have dropped out of public primary and secondary school over the 2016-2017 academic year; the rate of unemployment is estimated at 12 percent of the labour force or about 37,119 persons; youth unemployment is estimated to be 21.6 per cent of the labour force or about 16,462 persons; and - the rate of teenage pregnancy is the highest in the Caribbean Community; more than 3,000 Guyanese teenage girls become pregnant every year. Denying the prevalence and pervasiveness of these problems will not solve them. Solutions are being sought. Emphasis is being intensified on Technical Vocational Education Training as a means of
building human capacity and of expanding opportunities for young persons not in education, employment or training (known by the acronym NEET). The Essequibo Technical Institute, Leonora Technical and Vocational Training Centre, Guyana Industrial Training Centre, Government Technical Institute, Carnegie School of Home Economics, Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre, New Amsterdam Technical Institute, Corentyne Industrial Training Centre and the Linden Technical Institute have a combined enrolment of 3,776 students. The work of these institutes and centres is being supplemented by training programmes organized by the Board of Industrial Training and by Practical Instruction Centres and Practical Instruction Departments in secondary schools. It is anticipated that 42 schools will have practical instruction workshops by 2021. Robust efforts have been made to reduce school absenteeism and improve attendance at public schools. The Public Education Transport Service (PETS) (known popularly as the 3 B’s Initiative) was a response to the reality that many parents could not afford the cost of transport to send their children to school. PETS has had an impact on school attendance and household savings. The Service has distributed 1,184 bicycles, 27 buses and 9 boats. PETS is saving parents money; in some cases the savings can be as high as $48,000 per month per student – money which can now be funnelled into improving households. Unemployment is being reduced through the promotion of self-employment. Almost 400 community projects – financed under the Sustainable Livelihoods and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) project, the Community Organized for the Restoring the Environment (CORE) project, the Amerindian Development Find (ADF) and the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) – have been granted $3.7 B. Micro-financing interventions – the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN); the Micro- and Small-Enterprises Development (MSED) project and the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) – have provided G$1.2 B in grants and loans to more than 3,000 young entrepreneurs, including firsttime business start-ups. Workers’ standards of living are being improved. Public servants’ and teachers’
minimum wage was increased by over 50 per cent, or from $39,540 to $60,000 in three years. The vulnerable are being protected. Monthly oldage pensions increased by 48.6 per cent from $13,125 to $19,500 and public assistance by 35.5 per cent from $5,900 to $8,000. The system of local democracy has been re-invigorated. The previous regime’s odious practice of removing elected municipalities and installing the ignominious ‘interim management committees’ has been ended. Local government elections were held on 18th March 2016, less than a year after the change of government and after a lapse of almost twenty-two years since the last elections were held on 8th August 1994. These elections have empowered our citizens, energised our communities and eliminated one of the sources of strife and stagnation. A National Conference of Local Democratic Organs was convened to become a vehicle to promote greater communication and meaningful cooperation between the regional democratic administrations, the municipalities, the neighbourhood democratic councils and Central Government. Four new towns – at Bartica, Mabaruma, Mahdia and Lethem – have been established. A policy of regional development aimed at ensuring that every region will be led by a capital town to propel the delivery of public services and to promote economic growth. Development in the towns under democratically-elected municipal councils has been measureable. Villages are central to local government. This is the reason why I proclaimed 7th November as the ‘National Day of Villages.’ The declaration reinforced local democracy and paved the way for the restoration of regular local government elections, which will allow citizens a greater say in the decisionmaking and the management of their communities. Guyanese organizations are encouraged to disassociate themselves from denialism. They ought not to conceal inconvenient truths but, rather, contribute to crafting an implementing plans for people’s education, employment and empowerment. We can all do much more to quicken the pace at which social problems are solved, local democracy firmly re-established, community development improved and the people could enjoy a good life.
Sunday September 02, 2018
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Knee replacement: Taking away the pains By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine For years, persons with severe arthritis to their knees had to withstand the severe pains and try pain medications that had serious side effects. Advancement in medicine now means that one can get a new knee and ease all their pains from the arthritis. Knee replacement surgery has also taken off in Guyana. We have very capable bone specialists that are doing this surgery locally. Unfortunately, quite a percentage of our population suffers from arthritis of their knee. A good proportion of them require knee replacement surgery. While some are very eager for the surgery to rid their pains, others are often skeptical because they do not know what they are getting into. Today I will shed some light on knee replacement surgery so that those affected by severe arthritis of their knee, will be able to have a more constructive discussion with their bone specialist. WHAT IS KNEE REPLACEMENT? Knee replacement is a type of surgery in which a doctor replaces parts of a
person’s knee joint with manmade parts. The knee joint is made up of the lower part of the thigh bone (called the femur), the knee cap (called the patella), and the top part of the shinbone (called the tibia).
When people have problems with their knee joint, the knee can be painful, swollen, stiff, or have trouble moving normally. Different conditions can cause problems with the knee joint. One of the most common causes is osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis that often comes with age. Knee replacement is a treatment that can reduce knee pain and improve
the way the knee works. WHENARE KNEE PROBLEMS TREATED WITH KNEE REPLACEMENT? Knee problems might or might not be treated with knee replacement right away. Doc-
tors often suggest trying other treatments first. These can include weight loss, medicines, knee braces, or physical therapy. If these treatments do not help enough, doctors then suggest knee replacement.One reason doctors suggest trying other treatments first, especially for younger people, is that a replacement knee joint can wear out over time. Knee replace-
ments usually last at least 10 to 15 years, and some last longer. The number of years a replacement joint lasts depends on different things, such as how active the person is. WHAT HAPPENS DURING KNEEREPLACEMENT SURGERY? Knee replacement takes place in an operating room in a hospital. A doctor will give you medicines to make you sleep and to numb your body. Then your doctor will make a cut down the center on the front of the knee. He or she will replace parts of your knee joint with man-made parts made out of metal, ceramic, or plastic. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SURGERY? After surgery, most people stay in the hospital for 2 days to a week. While you are in the hospital, you will get: * Medicines to treat your pain * Antibiotic medicines to prevent infections % Medicines to prevent
blood clots in the legs % Special boots or stockings to prevent blood clots in the legs WHAT PROBLEMS CAN PEOPLE HAVE FROM KNEE REPLACEMENT? People can have different problems right after knee replacement surgery, but serious problems are uncommon. Problems from knee replacement can include: % Blood clots in the legs – This can cause leg pain and swelling. % Infections – Symptoms of an infection can include fever, chills, pain in the knee that gets worse and worse, or knee swelling. If you have any of these symptoms, let your doctor or nurse know. People who have a knee replaced sometimes find that the new knee is stiff and does not bend as well as their own knee used to. This can make it hard to climb stairs or get up from a low chair. WHERE DO I GO AFTER I LEAVE THE HOSPITAL? Many people go home.
Dr. Zulfikar Bux But some people stay in a nursing home or rehabilitation centre for a short time in order to get stronger before going home. Wherever you go, you will need to do your exercises and have physical therapy. WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO DO MY USUAL ACTIVITIESAGAIN? Most people can do their usual activities again within 4 to 6 weeks of knee replacement. Your doctor will tell you if there are any activities that you should avoid. The end result is being able to live without the debilitating knee pains.
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SUNDAY Duty free fuel has been extremely susceptible to abuse – country losing billions of dollars annually – Tax Chief Of all the areas the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) must monitor to prevent acts of corruption, fuel remains the most troublesome. According to GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, 30 percent of the fuel imports for Guyana are duty free. Statia said that these go to various companies in the natural resources sector, government agencies, among others. The tax chief noted that given the quantity of fuel imports that is subject to tax remissions, it is often abused. Statia said that almost daily, a racket involving the misuse of duty free fuel can be uncovered. In fact, Kaieteur News recently learnt of one prominent agency linked to allegations of fuel misuse. Statia declined to divulge specifics, but confirmed that the GRA is in receipt of reports on this matter and an investigation has been initiated. The Commissioner General noted that the misuse of duty free fuel has been an uphill battle for the authority, but mechanisms are being put in place to plug loopholes, where found. He noted that some of GRA’s systems of control would have stemmed from the findings made by the Tax Reform Commission, of which he was part. The Commission pointed out that based on the revenue losses on fuel exemptions for 2014 and 2015 alone, government needs to rethink its
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Kaieteur News
policy on waivers. The Commission noted that for the two years, the customs value of petroleum products imported was some $117B and $70B respectively. The total value of exemptions from Import Duty, Excise Tax and Value-Added Tax amounted to $23B and $22B in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The Commission said it was unable to determine the exact sources or the beneficiaries of these exemptions, but it was provided with other exemption data arising from Investment Development Agreements (IDAs) which are equally worrying. In this regard, it noted that taxes exempted for 2014 and 2015 were $63B and $92B, as it relates to IDAs. Included in these figures are exemptions for Ministries and Government Departments to the tune of $4.4B and $19.5B respectively. The Commission also looked at tax exemptions for fuel for certain sectors from the period 2013 to 2015. It was noted that for 2015, tax exemptions for companies and businesses amounted to $56.7B. The major sectors that benefitted included: Telecommunications, Mining, Petroleum Exploration and Manufacturing. Given the aforementioned, the Tax Reform Committee recommended that conditional subsidies should be significantly reduced if not eliminated over a five-year period. China’s Belt and Road is another debt trap! Awoken by Sri Lanka’s experience, Myanmar scales down China-backed port to avoid financial tragedy A lesson taught by the
Turkish proverb—”No matter how far you have gone on the wrong road, you can still turn back”—characterizes Myanmar’s decision to scale down a major project backed by China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Myanmar down-scaled plans for a Chinese-backed Kyauk Pyu Port on its western coast, sharply reducing the cost of the project. Quoting a Myanmar Government Official, Reuters said that the decision was made based on concerns that the project could leave Myanmar heavily indebted. Myanmar is a Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 ethnic groups, bordering India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. The Kyauk Pyu port is a key part of China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at expanding trade links across the world. While China
says Belt and Road is mutually beneficial to both partners, questions have been raised about countries taking on excessive debt to build projects. Reuters reported the Myanmar government saying that the initial $7.3 billion price tag on the Kyauk Pyu deepwater port, on the western tip of Myanmar’s conflicttorn Rakhine state, set off alarm bells due to reports of troubled Chinese-backed projects in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Malaysia. The revised cost would be around $1.3B, “something that’s much more plausible for Myanmar’s use”, said Sean Turnell, economic advisor to Myanmar’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. However, China’s staterun CITIC Group, the main developer of the project, was quoted as saying that negotiations were ongoing and that the $1.3 billion was to be
spent on the “initial phase” of the port, adding the project was divided into four phases. But, it did not elaborate on cost or plans for subsequent stages. Myanmar is increasingly reliant on diplomatic support from China. China has pushed for strategic opportunities in Myanmar, including preferential access to the Kyauk Pyu port. Kyauk Pyu is an entry point for a 770-kilometre (480mile) pipeline delivering oil and natural gas to China’s Yunnan province. That gives China an alternative route for energy imports from the Middle East that avoids the strategic chokepoint of the Malacca Strait. Mother stabs son, 3, to death The community of Foulis, Enmore, East Coast Demerara,
was left in shock at the violent actions of a mother who stabbed her three-year-old son to death at their home around 09:15 hrs Saturday. Brenda Ferreira, a twentysix year old housewife of 585 15th Street, Foulis, (ECD), was seen running behind her son, three-year-old Ramdeo Mahadeo, with a knife in her hand, and eyewitnesses claim to have seen the woman thrusting the knife repeatedly into the child’s back. One witness said that after hearing the screams of the child, she immediately called the Enmore Police Outpost. The woman said that “at this time she had dragged the child back into the house. I was in shock, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!” The police responded promptly, and the child was found in a bloodied state, lying on a bed in the small wooden structure they call home. The ranks that responded, immediately rushed the child to the Georgetown Hospital, where valiant attempts were made to save the child’s life, but unfortunately the child succumbed around 12:00 hrs. When Kaieteur News spoke to 50-year-old Shamlall Mahadeo, the husband of Ferreira, and father of two children with the woman, he was at a loss as to why the woman would kill her own child. He was visibly in distress and was clutching to their older child, who is said to be four years old. The child witnessed the whole incident. Mahadeo said his son told him that he ran after he saw what his mommy had done to his smaller brother. Neighbors felt that hadn’t the older child run away, the woman would have killed him too. One individual who is building a house next door to where the incident occurred (Continued on page 33)
Sunday September 02, 2018
From page 32 said, “only Saturday she asking me workman if she looking mad. I realize something like it wrong with she, so I told my worker not to worry with her, but I didn’t realize she would do something like this”. MONDAY PM Nagamootoo defends Govt.’s acceptance of fleeing Venezuelans …Opposition warns permanent settlement is threat to territorial integrity Amidst warnings of a security threat, Guyana continues to accept Venezuelans fleeing their homeland due mainly to worsening economic and political turmoil. In fact, by international estimates, more than 1.5M have left the South American country in search of better conditions, many of them have trekked over to neighbouring countries. Guyana has seen an influx in recent months along border communities, especially in Region One (Barima Waini), promoting Government to announce plans to construct a homestead at Mabaruma for registered Venezuelans. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has defended Guyana’s acceptance, pointing that the country has tried to regularise the inflow by admitting Venezuelans who had passports, and tracking cases of suspected trafficking in persons. ”We were accused of allowing entry to those with only ID cards, which was not the case; but it is significant to note that a close ally of the Maduro outfit, Ecuador, is accepting Venezuelans with ID cards only. Peru, Colombia and Bolivia have all eased restrictions,” the Prime Minister stated. The Prime Minister defence of the Government’s position is being made as the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has cautioned against the long-term settlement of Venezuelans. For decades, Venezuela has maintained a claim to Essequibo. According to Opposition leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, there are three types of individuals who will come through the borders into Guyana from Venezuelan – Guyanese who live in Venezuela, Amerindians who tend to move across borders seamlessly without passports and Venezuelans who are leaving the country. According to Jagdeo, as it relates to Venezuelans, Guyana has an obligation to treat them fairly and in a humanitarian way.
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However, he stated, “In the long-term, they will be repatriated to Venezuela, given the nature of the threat on the border and what a settlement on the border, with permanent residents from Venezuela – a settlement of that nature can pose a threat to our territorial integrity and arguments in the future.” We will not allow abuse of Natural Resource Fund – Central Bank Governor When Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund is established, Central Bank is expected to be appointed as its Operational Manager. This was outlined in the Government’s Green Paper on the Fund. While many acknowledge that it is common for Central Banks to have a role in monitoring the Fund, fears have been expressed about the Bank’s insulation from political interference. In light of such concerns, Central’s Bank Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga recently noted that the Bank would be guided by the laws governing the management of the Fund. In an interview with Kaieteur News, Dr. Ganga firmly stated, “We will not allow any abuse of the Natural Resource Fund. The withdrawal rules will be upheld.” The Bank of Guyana Governor noted that there will be quarterly and yearly reports about the operations of the Fund. He said that there will be auditors coming in to do separate audits of the Bank’s work and these will be laid in Parliament. He said that the selection of these External Auditors will be determined by the law and they will be individuals who are certified to audit in Guyana. Further to this, Dr. Ganga said that Central Bank has commenced a review of the skills that would be needed for the management of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF). He added, “Our role is not anything difficult. The role of central bank will be to operationalise the Fund. When the money is coming in and it is placed into the Fund, our role will include where would we put the money in terms of investments and this would be guided by law. So the law will say you can only put your investments in Triple A securities which are very safe securities. We know what is needed and it is similar to what we have already being doing. It is similar to managing our own reserves.” Dr. Ganga was also asked to state if the Bank has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help in conducting an assessment of
Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix (at head of table) at a recent meeting with other stakeholders to discuss Government’s approach to the influx of persons from Venezuela. whether it is capable of managing such a Fund. He answered in the negative but noted that it was a topic of discussion. Guyanese-led Oil Company ready to develop country’s weak local content The industrial and educational capacity needed to ensure Guyanese take a leading role in managing the country’s nascent oil and gas sector is woefully deficient. In spite of calls from revered institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for an accelerated process, the sloth continues. But even in the face of several challenges, one Guyanese is determined to change this state of affairs by taking an active role in developing local content in Guyana. Just more than a year ago, Sheldon Davis partnered with Century Tamara Energy Services (CTES), a Nigerian oil and gas firm with more than 30 years experience. Together, they have established an office here that sees a large employment of locals. According to Davis, his partnership with the Nigerian firm has enabled him to provide an array of capacity building exercises for his fellow brothers and sisters. Davis said that taking an active role in the development of local content here is of importance to him, especially when one considers the recent call by the government for support from regional and international partners to build the capacity of policy makers, officers, technicians, private sector professionals and all
stakeholders on the issues and challenges surrounding this emerging sector. Davis said, “With this CTES partnership, we are more than equipped and ready to answer Government’s call for experienced partners. Just to give you some insight into what we do, CTES provides Supply Chain Management services, Operations and Maintenance programmes, Marine Services, Ports/ Terminal Development and Management services, and even training to the South American Hydrocarbon market.” The Country Manager continued, “CTES prides itself as the only one that will do whatever it takes to get the oil/gas to the market that needs it while ensuring full domestic participation and contribution to economic and national growth. In the maritime services sector, CTES offers a suite of services. These include Port Management; Chartering and Management of Offshore Support Vessels, Platform Support Vessels, Utility Vessels, and Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessels; Mooring and Installation, Bunkering Services and Tank Farm Operations.” TUESDAY Gas-to-power project can cost as much as US$1B to supply 190mw at most -This cannot solve Guyana’s energy problems – Ramson Jr. The gas-to-power project being pursued by the Government of Guyana can cost as much as US$1B and that is just initial estimates. However, Attorney at Law, Charles Ramson Jr. who has a Mas-
ters in oil and gas management, said that even with that amount of money to be spent, this project will not be the answer to Guyana’s energy woes. In fact, he noted that the amount of gas to be brought to shore would not be remotely enough to supply a booming manufacturing sector. Currently, the peak demand on the coast of Guyana is an estimated 120MW of power. This does not consider certain parts of Guyana. But, according to Ramson, the project will have the capacity to deliver no more than 190MW of power. He said that with the growing demands likely to come with oil—based on the estimated influx of people and the likely expansion of certain energydemanding sectors—the 190MW will not satisfy Guyana’s needs. Ramson noted this in light of President David Granger’s recent comments about the coalition’s plans for energy. Granger was quoted, in government-aligned sections of the media, as stating that the issue of energy was discussed with a team of United States Congressional officials during a meeting held last Thursday at State House. Granger said that some Congressmen expressed an interest in the area of energy. ”We explained that we are choosing – we are not wedded to one concept – we are choosing; some areas may have solar, some areas may have hydro, some areas may have wind, some areas may have natural gas. So we are looking at a mix of energy sources,” Granger said. ”We are confident that we would bring the tariff rate
down to below 15 US cents per kilowatt hour and maybe we’ll keep moving downwards and have cheap energy and this would be important to the manufacturers,” the President said. The cost of electricity in Guyana is considerably high and has served as a barrier to the growth and expansion of enterprise – particularly those in the manufacturing sector. Electricity tariff in Guyana currently hovers around 25 to 35 US cents per kilowatt hour. Hence, alternatives for energy are always being sought by successive governments. 7 students drop out daily from schools; 37,000 persons unemployed - more than 3,000 teenagers become pregnant every year – President Granger President David Granger on Sunday called on all Guyanese to dissociate themselves from ‘denialism’, as he noted that inconvenient truths, particularly about the country’s challenges must not be concealed but, rather, every person must contribute to crafting and implementing plans to improve education, employment and empowerment. President Granger was at the time delivering the feature address at the Cuffy 250 State of African-Guyanese Forum, which was held at the Critchlow Labour College Auditorium. “We should not allow people to deny that there are problems, because that would obstruct us from implementing solutions. I believe Cuffy (Continued on page 34)
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From page 33 250 is one of the solutions. Where there are problems, we must be courageous enough to admit there are problems and look for solutions and sometimes it calls for research. We must all do much more to quicken the pace at which social problems are solved, local democracy firmly re-established, community development improved and the people could enjoy a good life,” he said. In his address to the Forum, President Granger said that Guyanese, in pursuit of a ‘good life’, ought to avoid the dangers of ‘denialism’. Noting that denialism distorts the reality of present-day conditions, constructs a false reality and leads, inevitably, to failure, the Head of State said that Guyanese deceive themselves and others when social reality is denied and this can lead to consequences. “A prominent leader of one country, notoriously, denied the link between Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and because of that denial 330,000 people died because his Government refused to provide treatment to HIV-infected persons. Even today people deny the impacts of global warming. Other prominent persons have described global warming as an ‘expensive hoax.’ Cigarette manufacturers have long denied the link between smoking and cancer. Denialism, in every phase of life, could have dangerous consequences but there is another side to denialism,” the President shared. The Head of State noted that one of the main problems which affect Guyanese currently, is the rate of school ‘dropouts’, which sees at least seven students leaving school per day, with the highest incidence being in public secondary schools where at least five students drop out every day. The rate of unemployment, which is estimated at 12 per cent of the labour force or about 37,119 persons, is another problem plaguing the Guyanese community. Thirdly, he pointed to the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy, which is the highest in the Caribbean Community; more than 3,000 Guyanese teenage girls become pregnant every year. He said that denying the prevalence and pervasiveness of these problems will not solve them. Instead, he issued a call for a concerted effort to successfully address them. Bleak outlook as E’bo coast power woes continue The Guyana Power and
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
A section of the audience
Light (GPL) on Monday said it remains committed to providing reliable electricity supply to its “valued customers” on the Essequibo Coast. However, that may do little to calm the anger of the consumers, a number of whom protested the continuing outages last week. GPL had said it was rushing two generators to Essequibo coast last week, with Minister of Public Infrastructure assuring Friday that the outages will cease. ”However, due to unforeseen mechanical and electrical issues with three of our generation units, we are challenged to provide the required peak demand of 4.2 Megawatts. Currently, two units with an aggregate capacity of 1.5 MW are in operation at the Anna Regina power station. These units cannot satisfy the demand of the entire Coast and as such load shedding is in effect until additional generation becomes available,” GPL said in a statement Monday. The power company said it is working with technical assistance from the equipment supplier, to mobilize additional generation by weekend to alleviate the prolonged service interruptions. “We remain cognizant of the inconvenience caused and seek the patience of our customers as we work to restore reliable power supply to the Coast.” GPL had announced that
it is building a new power plant to replace the aging engines at Anna Regina, but that will not be completed for a few months. WEDNESDAY Guyana must investigate ExxonMobil’s waste disposal plan – Int’l Consultants The Open Society Institute (OSI) is appealing to Government to keep a watchful eye on how ExxonMobil plans to dispose of potentially hazardous waste while operating here. The OSI is an international body that aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform. According to OSI, the environmental consequences of oil are substantial throughout the entire process of development. The Institute said that each stage of the process— exploration, onshore and offshore drilling, refining, pipelines and other forms of transportation—poses serious risks to the ecology and public health. It said that every environmental medium—air, water, and land—is affected. The Institute said that the degree of environmental harm is determined by operator responsibility, government over-
sight, and conditions in particular ecosystems. Even in heavily regulated environments, some damage occurs it said. Further to this, the Institute explained that the disposal of oil wastes from offshore drilling operations is another significant environmental concern. In this regard, the Institute said that an oil platform uses nearly 400,000 gallons of sea water daily as drilling fluids in the extraction process, and, following its use, this oil-tainted water is discharged back into the ocean. The Institute said, “One of the apparent impacts of offshore discharges has been mercury pollution; eating contaminated fish is increasingly regarded as a substantial cause of human exposure to mercury. A study found that mercury levels in the mud and sediments beneath oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were 12 times higher than acceptable levels under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.” The OSI said that the only way to solve the problems caused by offshore discharges is to capture the wastes and dispose of them in a properly lined waste disposal site on land. It said that Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency needs to keep a close eye on this area
Guyana’s proposed Natural Resource Fund… Govt. ignores IMF’s advice to have rules which prevent reckless spending Governments often use Natural Resource Funds as accounts to hold the bulk of the country’s revenues from the extractive sector. But without robust withdrawal rules, these Funds can become victims of overspending by a misguided and money hungry government. It is in this vein that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) implored the Government of Guyana to ensure that the fiscal rules that will be drafted to administer the country’s Natural Resource Fund must include a clause that guards against reckless spending. Specifically, the International Monetary Fund said that a provision must be in place, which says that the withdrawal from the NRF cannot exceed the government petroleum revenue collected in a year, plus the value of the NRF in the immediately preceding year. The IMF said that this “escape” clause is intended to avoid excessiveness. The Fund made this point since May when it was given the opportunity to peruse as well as provide its take on the shortcomings of Guyana’s fiscal rules. But when the Government presented its Green
paper on August 8, last, to the National Assembly, it did not speak to this. What the Green Paper does say is that, withdrawals from the Fund will not exceed the amount “approved” by the legislature. The Government currently holds the majority in the National Assembly. Governments are often open to creating Natural Resource Funds with the intention of squirreling away excess moneys made on their natural resources. These moneys can be used for various purposes. They can help to support budget shortfalls, used for international investments or simply serve as a savings for future generations.But NRFs by themselves cannot guarantee future prosperity. This point was made recently by economic analyst Andrew Bauer. He is attached to the prestigious Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). The consultant pointed out that the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund in Canada for instance, was designed in part to save oil revenues for future generations. Yet, it failed to save anything in all but two years between 1987 and 2012. Pensioner’s battered body found in yard – home ransacked, bloody stone left at scene The lifeless and battered body of 72-year-old (Continued on page 35)
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From page 34 Krishnachand Dabee was found on Monday evening in his yard at Lot 149 Annandale, South, East Coast Demerara at around 18:30 hrs. The pensioner was found lying at the bottom of the back stairs of his two storey, wooden house. His body bore injuries to the head and near the right eye. There were bloodstains on the ground next to a water barrel where the body was found. A huge, bloodstained stone was also found near the body. It is believed that the intruders battered the elderly man with this object. Mr. Dabee appeared to be the victim of robbers, since his house was ransacked. It is unclear what valuables were missing. Relatives made the gruesome discovery after visiting Dabee, who had failed to turn up earlier in the day to visit his wife, 67-year old Bernice Dabee at Mercy Care Residence. Ramona Johnson, his daughter, and her husband, Leon Johnson, arrived at his house with a meal for the elderly man. But he failed to respond to their phone calls, and they assumed that he was either in the bathroom or in the yard. Mr. Dabee’s son-in-law said that when they arrived at the house around 17:15 hrs, the gate was locked and the lights were still on. The man said he became suspicious, since one of the lights that was still on was one that Mr. Dabee would not have switched on. After standing at the gate and calling repeatedly, the couple went to the Vigilance Police Station to express their concerns. Returning to the home with a policeman, the visitors broke the lock on the gate and entered. The lock on the gate was then broken in the presence of the police, they all then entered the yard; this was where the shocking find was made. THURSDAY Guyana deserves more in future oil contracts; fiscal regime must change – Chatham House No one has to wonder anymore. It is a fact that Guyana is rich with oil. As such, future contracts with oil operators must reflect that the government is aware of the value of its resources. The Government must ask for what it is entitled to. But it can only do this if the fiscal regime governing oil deals is changed.
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President Granger addressing the Cuffy 250 Forum
This appeal was recently made to the Government by Chatham House. Like others, this international organization wants Guyana to get a fair deal from the next crop of billion-dollar oil companies that want in on the country’s black gold. Chatham House told the Guyana Government that the risks are highest for exploration companies in frontier areas where no discovery has been made. It noted, however, that a major discovery significantly de-risks the country. “This is what happened with Guyana, ExxonMobil’s discovery has de-risked it.” Chatham House explained that when no oil discovery has been made, fiscal regimes tend to be favourable to investors. The anti-corruption entity said it is for this reason that oil companies get significant tax breaks, a low royalty percentage to give the government and its split of the profit oil is greater. Chatham House noted, however, that these fiscal benefits are scaled back following commercial discovery. It said, “When oil is found, fiscal regimes tend to be more stringent. The significant discovery offshore Guyana has important implications for the evolution of the fiscal regime for subsequent licences in Guyana. As such, the authorities need to make urgent changes.” Deadlock remains in Education standoff - GTU says arbitration will end strike; Ministry insists on conciliation process The Guyana Teachers’ Union [GTU] is prepared to bring an end to its ongoing strike action if the Ministry of Education agrees to arbitration. This is in spite of the
Education Ministry’s insistence on a process of conciliation spearheaded by the Labour Department of the Ministry of Social Protection. Moreover, an impasse was the outcome of a meeting called by the Labour Department Wednesday between the Education Ministry and the GTU. The Education Ministry had last week written to the Social Protection Ministry asking that it exercise its powers of conciliation in the face of the union’s threat of strike action. However, because of prior commitments, the union was unable to attend two previous conciliation meetings called by the Labour Department. However, the union, in keeping with the law, decided to avail itself to Wednesday’s meeting called by the Social Protection Ministry, despite its conviction that conciliation was not possible at this stage. Following the meeting held at the Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown office, GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte, said the union is bent on arbitration since “we are insisting that the conciliation process has been compromised which, to some extent, has been admitted to by the Labour Department...the conciliators ought to be coming from the Ministry of Social Protection, but they would have compromised that position by being at two meetings that were held for negotiations.” According to Lyte, once the Education Ministry agrees to the GTU’s arbitration terms, moves will be made to immediately halt ongoing strike action, which has already seen teachers from across the country staying away from pre-term activities. Insisting that they are committed to a stable indus-
trial relations climate and desire the return of normalcy, the GTU contingent led by Lyte turned up at Wednesday’s meeting armed with terms for the way forward. FRIDAY Former Special Branch head Leslie James is new Top Cop-vows proactive, intelligenceled Police Force Hours after the Ministry of the Presidency announced that a new Police Commissioner has been picked, Assistant Commissioner Leslie James was swiftly sworn in at State House on Thursday. And he is promising an intelligence-led Police Force. According to James, a surprise pick of five shortlisted, and who headed the Criminal Investigations Department and Special Branch at varying times, he is very much aware of the crime concerns, with his team to take a proactive stance on tackling crime. He would have nudged out Assistant Commissioners Nigel Hoppie, Maxine Graham, Paul Williams and Lyndon Alves and of course, the Police Commissioner (ag), David Ramnarine who was not present at the swearing in ceremony. James, who also was the Commander for the West Demerara (‘D’ Division) between 2016 and 2018, told media after his swearing in, that his mandate is very clear, he intends to keep the peace in a “professional and unbiased” manner. The words would come at a time when the police are grappling with a number of fringe gangs, comprising predominantly young criminals, who have been tormenting especially businesses across
the coasts and hinterland. While there has been a marked drop in drug-related and other execution killings, daily robberies around the city and accusations of police complicity and unconcerned behaviour to reports have been marring what would otherwise have been a good run in sleuths cracking a number of high profile cases. According to the new Commissioner, there is a plan to fight crime, which cannot be made public at this time. Every oil discovery ‘trips me off’ when I think of our losses -Jagdeo, as Exxon makes 9th find Ordinary Guyanese who do not fully understand the fiscal regime of Guyana’s deal with oil giant, ExxonMobil, might get excited each time a new discovery is made. On the other hand, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo indicates that he cringes. On Thursday, ExxonMobil announced another find offshore Guyana. The discovery of approximately 197 feet (60 metres) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir at the Hammerhead-1 is the ninth discovery of oil in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana and the fifth within the last year. There was a bit of silence from Jagdeo on Thursday while speaking about the find. When he began speaking again, he said, “It trips me off when I think about how much we are losing. It trips me a bit.” Even though ExxonMobil is already at its ninth discovery, the company is far from exploring most of the Stabroek, which it has control of. Jagdeo said that it is rather unfortunate that all
these discoveries being made are falling under that same contract that most right thinking people have concluded is stacked in the interest of ExxonMobil. “This ninth discovery will be processed through the same old contract…The thing is that the President has no clear position. When I told him of my concerns, he said that they are strengthening and so on moving forward. No specific answers to my questions. I hope you have better luck.” Jagdeo continued, “I did not get any clear answer but he said that they have just hired somebody to strengthen the department.” Further, Jagdeo said that during his meeting with the President, “I raised the issue about the confusion that the government itself said no future contract would be negotiated on the same terms as ExxonMobil. But they are yet to define to the country what the new terms will be.” SATURDAY Ramnarine calls it a day – says will contemplate his options One day after not even being considered, in a high level shakeup of the Guyana Police Force, former Top Cop (ag) David Ramnarine has called it a day. Ramnarine, known for bluntness, calling out rogue cops ever so often, said he is proceeding on a much-deserved annual leave, and will be contemplating his options. His options in the police force were made clear Thursday after the Ministry of the Presidency announced that Commander of ‘D’ Division, Leslie James, was chosen to be the new (Continued on page 36)
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From page 36 commissioner.James is also a former head of the Special Branch, the intelligence division of the police force, and the Criminal Investigations Department. Also approved to assist James, were four Deputy Commissioners – Lyndon Alves, Maxine Graham, Nigel Hoppie and Paul Williams. Ramnarine was among several persons interviewed and given ‘Grade Six-type’ tests. However, he was not shortlisted in the final list that was sent to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo recently. Following “consultations” Thursday at State House, the Ministry of the Presidency named James as the new police chief. He was sworn that afternoon. Ramnarine was not there at the State House ceremony. It is unclear if he was invited. Jagdeo later said that President, during the consultations, did not immediately give details for his decision, but said there were “specific reasons” for not choosing Ramnarine. On Friday, Ramnarine would not delve too much into what has transpired, as “what is done is done”. He said that he has extended congratulations to the new commissioner and three deputies, and he will be doing the same with the fourth one shortly. He said that he has some well-deserved annual leave due and will be proceeding on same. While he did not immediately say whether he has re-
Sunday September 02, 2018
signed, he had this to say: “Whatever has happened is not the end of my life and the world…” Ramnarine also said that decision was not totally unexpected and he had been preparing for it since last year. He hinted of certain matters that arose that affected his possibilities, but did not want to talk about it. He insisted that serving the police force and Guyana has indeed been “very satisfactory” and it was a “pleasure”. Ramnarine is confident that the opportunities to continue in new areas will open up and he will be “contemplating” these options. Govt. moving to up initial salary increase offer to teachers – President Granger An improved pay package may be on the horizon for teachers. According to President David Granger at a press conference Friday, government is deliberately working towards meeting the salary demands of public school teachers. Teachers through their union, the Guyana Teachers’ Union, have asked of government a 40 percent increase for 2016 which was also brought to the attention and endorsed by a Task Force which was established by government to negotiate a salary increase for teachers. The Task Force had also supported the union’s call for an additional five percent for teachers over the next five years. However, government af-
Crunch-time: GTU President Mark Lyte addressing the media. ter perusing the report of the Task Force said that there were serious financial implications if the recommended percentages were approved. Moreover, government opted to offer teachers a $700 million payout on their 2018 salaries. This of course did not find favour with the union and its membership, forcing them into strike action which commenced Monday and is likely to continue next week.
But President Granger on Friday disclosed that government is moving towards changing its proposition. “Money was found to augment the initial offer, and even as a I speak, the Ministry of Social Protection which has responsibility for Labour and Industrial Relations, is in touch with the Ministry of Finance to see whether additional funds can be found from other heads of govern-
GTU Executive Members informing some union members of the continued impasse with the Education Ministry following the conciliation meeting
ment expenditure in order to move closer to the goal of finding sufficient funds for the teachers. The government has been trying to meet the teachers’ needs after several discussions at Cabinet on the High level panel [Task Force] report,” the President informed. Judge rules in favour of former SWAT head sent home by Felix The decision by former Commissioner of Police (ag), David Ramnarine, to send former head of the SWAT unit, Motie Dookie, home on special leave, has been overturned by the High Court. O n F r i d a y, J u s t i c e Fidela Corbin-Lincoln granted orders quashing the decision of Ramnarine, made on the 21st day of May. The decision saw Dookie being sent on “Special Leave in the Public Interest”. Dookie fought the decision on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, contrary to the rules of natural justice, unreasonable, unlawful, null, void, and of no effect, among other things. On June 15th, 2018, Dookie through his attorneys – Anil Nandlall,
Manoj Narayan, Rajendra Jaigobin and Anuradha Deodasingh – filed an application against Ramnarine and the Attorney General challenging the decision of the police chief to send him on special leave in the public interest. Ramnarine was represented by the Attorney General. The judge also ordered Ramnarine and the Attorney General to pay to the applicant $100,000 within 21 days. The Deputy Superintendent of Police reportedly landed himself in trouble late last year after he was found in a minibus in Berbice with several cases of Johnny Walker whisky believed to have been smuggled. He was first removed from the position, then transferred to a ward of the city, in the police ‘A’ Division. However, Citizenship Minister Winston Felix, who was performing the duties of Minister of P u b l i c S e c u r i t y, i n t h e absence of the substant i v e m i n i s t e r, K h e m r a j Ramjattan who was overs e a s , s e n t D o o k i e on “Special Leave in the Public Interest”.
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Major strengthening to Mackenzie/ Wismar Bridge ongoing
Work is ongoing at the bridge The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has budgeted millions of dollars to undertake major rehabilitation of the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge. Over 3,000 vehicles, including lumber trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, traverse the bridge daily. It links the coast to the hinterland and is heavily used by minibuses, loggers and miners. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Linmine Secretariat,
Emit Alves said that the repairs are currently being done in sections and a floatable raft was constructed so as to effectively meet those high spots for cleaning and sandblasting and to strengthen the structure and its nuts and bolts. Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge committee member and Municipal Councillor, Lennox Gasper said he is grateful that the Ministry would have ventured into the
maintenance works to strengthen the bridge. “With this extensive work, we are hoping that the bridge will ease regular weekly closure, and we will be seeing maintenance done more on a monthly basis.� While the old bridge is being strengthened, he still welcomes a new bridge for the town. “I am happy that plans are afoot to ensure that we (Continued on page 48)
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Those condemning teachers' action today would have supported it under... From page 39 all the Union is asking for is that the employer meet with its leadership to commence negotiation around this Report. Decency and commonsense may have fled these shores. Why can't a spade be called a spade and efforts made in working towards amicable relationship between employer/government and the people/workers? There is no doubt if the situation changes tomorrow and the PPP/C happens to form the government, should teachers proceed on industrial action, those who now condemn and ignore them will be verbalising their cause and goading them on. Who in the Coalition government can be the voice of reason and say to their fellow colleagues the government's approach is not right. For whereas, it may garner political support amongst the
staunch loyalists, shouting down the voices of reason, it presents the Coalition as uncaring and ruthless. How can social cohesion ever be achieved when the fundamental rights and freedoms of all cannot be respected? On one hand we bear witness to talks about respecting the Constitution and Laws of Guyana that held and want to hold the PPP/C accountable for their stewardship of this country and treatment of citizens. On the other hand, we bear witness that some will reject the same principle being applied when their party/ group is in office. When history is written by historians of integrity, it will present a picture of a group when in opposition condemned the action of the government and when entrusted with the people's power to manage their affairs and do right by them, the result has
proven that changing of the guard does not necessarily translate to changing of behaviour. Throughout the three years of calling for Collective Bargaining to be respected, the teachers have conducted themselves with nothing but dignity and class, serving as example to all. Yet their steely determination, rather than attract praise and emulation, sees ridicule and attacks. I'm on record calling for constitutional education. This experience must serve as a lesson to the teachers that if government doesn't make Civics part of the school curriculum, they must find ways and means to introduce and impart it to the minds they are now moulding. This nation has lost a few generations due to the absence of a moral compass and it is time to arrest it, or this society will regress not progress.
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Major strengthening to Mackenzie... From page 45 have a new bridge, because there is an influx of transportation and a usually long line of vehicles that are on either side, hence we need to have that two-way flow of traffic.� The Board of Directors of
the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved funding to the tune of US$4.4M to help Guyana enhance its transportation sector, and support the development of interior communities. Some of the funds
will be used to finance the construction of the new bridge. The old bridge is one lane and has been in existence for 51 years. It is a major connecting point from interior locations to the capital city.
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Gabrielle Union Goes All Out for Her Meghan Markle Pulls Off Top-Secret Trip and Dwyane Wade’s Anniversary to Visit Best Friend Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade have a love made for the movie screens. No, literally. For their four year anniversary, Union shared a movie trailer showcasing the fairytale wedding day they experienced. In the beginning, Kevin Hart delivers a funny and sincere speech, before the record scratches and the trailer dives into the wedding festivities. Then in a series of clips, the basketball player and his bride are seen surrounded by their family and friends as they get ready, dance and celebrate their marriage. Gabrielle posted the video to her Instagram, with the caption: “Waking up every morning next to my best friend is a blessing I could’ve never imagined. 4 years later... You’re still the one I wanna laugh with and snuggle and love on and ride with.” “Happy Anniversary baby,” she concluded in her sweet message. Aside from sharing their romantic love story, the actor and athlete are celebrating their relationship by taking time out of their busy schedules to enjoy some quality alone time together. The lovebirds are currently in Laguna Niguel, where Wade surprised his wife with flowers, champagne
and balloons. The couple deserves all the happiness on the momentous occasion considering all it took for them to get here. Since they started dating in 2009, they have weathered many storms together, from his ex-wife suing them, to suffering several miscarriages and even a brief split. Yet, they came out on the other end happier than
ever. Union once told E! News, “It’s almost kind of embarrassing to talk about. We really enjoy each other.” Nowadays, the two are happily raising his boys Zaire and Zion in their Atlanta residence. (https:// www.eonline.com/news/ 964503/gabrielle-union-goesall-out-for-her-and-dwyanewade-s-anniversary)
Aretha Franklin bishop sorry after ‘groping’ Ariana Grande
The bishop who led Aretha Franklin’s funeral has apologised to Ariana Grande after being accused of groping her on stage. Images show Bishop Charles H Ellis III holding Ariana high above her waist, with his fingers squeezed around the side of the singer’s chest. “It would never be my intention to touch any woman’s breast,” he told the Associated Press.“Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar.”He added: “But
again, I apologise.”The preacher said he hugged all artists, male or female, during the ceremonycommemorating the Queen of Soul. But viewers began posting images from the service when Ariana got up to sing Aretha’s song (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. Many people felt that Bishop Ellis’s hand was inappropriately high on the 25-year-old’s body as he spoke to her - saying that she looked uncomfortable with the contact.
And away she goes! Meghan Markle may be recognized around the world, but the Duchess of Sussex is still able to pull off trips in complete privacy. According to ABC News, Prince Harry’s leading lady recently flew commercial round-trip to hang out with her best friend.“Meghan spent three days holed up at Jessica Mulroney and her husband Ben Mulroney’s home in Toronto,” the news outlet shared this morning on Good Morning America. “They spent their days catching up, cooking together and, of course, playing with Jessica’s children, who love their ‘Auntie Meg.’” In fact, the duo was able to venture out one evening where they met up with some of Meghan’s old friends. And yes, this happened without any photos. Perhaps the vacation comes at the perfect time. Later this fall, Meghan will continue her official royal duties with a tour in Australia and New Zealand.And just this week, Meghan reunited with Prince Harry and attended a special gala performance of the popular Broadway musical Hamilton inside the
Victoria Palace Theatre in London.The couple was greeted by Hamilton creator and original star Lin-Manuel Miranda. And after the show, the Duke of Sussex took to the stage with the cast and attempted to sing a few parts of the song “You’ll Be Back.” As for Meghan’s recent trip to see Jessica and Ben, the trio has a long history together and has remained close through their biggest accomplishments.
The couple was spotted in the front row at Meghan and Prince Harry’s royal wedding. In fact, their sons served as page boys while their daughter was chosen to be a bridesmaid.And because Jessica is a style and bridal consultant, you can bet she had some input in the special day that was broadcast around the world. (https://www.eonline.com/
news/964435/meghan-marklepulls-off-top-secret-trip-tovisit-best-friend)
Lady Gaga Admits She Sometimes Feels “Insecure,” “Lonely” and “Ugly” “I like to preach,” Lady Gaga says, “but I don’t always practice what I preach.” In a Los Angeles Times profile, published today, Gaga speaks candidly about how hard she had to fight to star opposite Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born. She had acted before, winning a Golden Globe for her role in FX’s American Horror Story: Hotel, but Warner Bros. wanted her to do a screen test. Cooper, who also directed and produced the project, had his heart set on Gaga, so he set it up; she understood, since people “don’t really know what I look like.” But when they filmed it in 2016, she a full face of makeup on—so he asked her to take “take it off.” Cooper, she recalled, wanted her to be “completely open” and have “no artifice.” “It put me right in the place I needed to be, because when my character talks about how ugly she feels—that was real,” says Gaga, who plays an aspiring singer named Ally. “I’m so insecure.” Gaga doesn’t feel insecure all the time, of course—and that’s due, in large part, to the support of her Little Monsters. “To be honest, I think what makes me feel beautiful is when I see happiness in my fans. When I see or hear from them that the music that I’ve made has changed their life in some way, that’s what makes me feel beautiful. Because this is just the outside, you know? And at the end of the day, I could be in a million movies and put out a million songs and everyone could say, ‘She was so beautiful,’ but that’s not really what I want,” she says. “I want them to say, ‘I saw that movie and I cried my eyes out and I learned something about myself.’” Coincidentally, Gaga learned a lot about herself while making the movie (in theaters Oct. 5). In it, Cooper plays Jackson, a rock
star whose addiction issues put his career in decline. Everything changes (temporarily, at least) when he finds his muse in Ally and takes her on tour with him. But as her star burns bright—and his fades—his demons resurface and threaten their romance. After touring the world for the last decade, Gaga found it easy to relate to both characters. “It’s very lonely being a performer. There’s a certain loneliness that I feel, anyway—that I’m the only one that does what I do. So, it feels like no one understands. And the urge to use is because you’re searching for a way to quell the pain,” the actress says. “When I first started to perform around the country doing nightclubs, there was stuff everywhere, but I had already partied when I was younger, so I didn’t dabble. I was able to avoid it because I did it when I was a kid.” (Years ago, Gaga said she’d come to “cherish” her loneliness.)In other aspects, Gaga
and her character couldn’t be more different.“When we meet Ally, she’s given up on herself. And that’s very different from me. I just wasn’t overwhelmed by the odds. The truth is, if we were not sitting here today and I hadn’t sold as many records as I have, I’d still be in a bar somewhere playing the piano and singing. It’s just who I want
to be,” she says, recalling how she “hit the concrete running” before she got her record deal and dropped her first album, The Fame, in 2008. “I was dragging my piano from dive bar to dive bar to play music. I was calling people, faking being my own manager to get gigs. I really believed in myself that I could do this and that I wasn’t going to stop until I made it.” (https://www.eonline.com/news/ 964257/lady-gaga-admits-she-sometimes-
feels-insecure-lonely-and-ugly)
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Delivery method, infant diet could impact long-term health The gut microbiome of 6-weekold infants appears to be affected by both delivery method at birth and the way they are fed afterward, says research published online in JAMA Pediatrics. “Gut microbiome” refers to the diversity of bacterial life that colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract. It develops after birth and after the start of feeding, and it has been increasingly linked with health outcomes in adults. Meanwhile, cesarean delivery has been linked with obesity,asthma, celiac disease and type 1 diabetes later in life, and breastfeeding has been related to a lower risk of asthma, obesity, infection, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, compared with formula feeding. It is thought that exposure to microflora present during vaginal delivery could be related to the microbiome patterns in infants, but how this happens is unclear. Previous small studies have indicated a link between the intestinal microbiome of infants, delivery mode
and whether or not they were breastfed. Less is known, however, about how early life exposures shape the gut microbiome and its long-term effects on health. In addition, there is evidence that human milk primes and matures the infant gastrointestinal system, potentially promoting a unique microbial colonization profile that could lead to healthy outcomes. In the current study, researchers hypothesized that exposure to maternal vaginal microflora and/or to breast milk could cause specific microbes to be acquired in a particular order during the establishment of the core microbiome. This could represent a key mechanism underlying differences in immune development that influence lifelong disease risk. Anne G. Hoen, PhD, of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, and coauthors examined associations between delivery mode and feeding method with the composition of the gut microbiomes of 102 infants.The team collected in-
formation about the delivery mode from medical records, details on feeding from questionnaires and data about microbiome composition from stool samples. The infants were born at an average gestational age of nearly 40 weeks; 70 were delivered vaginally
Drinking more water reduces sugar, sodium and saturated fat intake Based on the fact that about two thirds of our bodies are comprised of water, it may seem obvious that consuming water is important for our health. But a new study finds that by increasing plain water consumption, we can control our weight and reduce intakes of sugar, sodium and saturated fat. The study, published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, is led by Prof. Ruopeng An, from the University of Illinois. Though most people meet their body’s fluid requirements by drinking plain water and other beverages, we also get some fluids through certain foods, such as soup broths, celery, tomatoes and melons.To further investigate how increasing water intake can affect parameters of health, the researchers used a nationally representative sample of more than 18,300 adults in the US from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2012. The researchers asked participants to recall all foods and drinks they consumed on 2 days that were between 310 days apart. Prof. An then calculated the amount of plain water that each participant consumed as a percentage of daily dietary water intake from both foods and drinks. Although drinks such as black tea, herbal tea and coffee were not assessed as sources of plain water, Prof. An did include their water content in the calculations of total water consumption.
On a daily basis, the participants consumed an average of about 4.2 cups of plain water, which accounts for just over 30% of their total water consumption. The average calorie intake for each participant was 2,157 calories, which included 125 calories from sugar-sweetened beverages and 432 calories from “discretionary foods” - desserts, pastries, snack mixes and other foods that are not essential. The results of the study revealed that people who increased their consumption of plain water by one to three cups daily lowered total energy intake by 68-205 calories each day and their sodium intake by 78-235 g each day.For purposes of the study, “plain water” was defined as water from a tap, cooler, drinking fountain or bottle.Further results showed that the people who increased their water consumption also consumed 5-18 g less sugar, as well as 7-21 g less cholesterol.“This finding indicates that it might be sufficient to design and deliver universalnutrition interventions and education cam-
paigns that promote plain water consumption in replacement of beverages with calories in diverse population subgroups without profound concerns about message and strategy customization,” says Prof. An.He and his team add that these effects were similar across race, ethnicity, education attainment, income level and body weight status, however, they were larger among males than females, and among young or middle-aged adults than older adults.Prof. An suggests these differences could have been linked with the higher daily calorie intakes associated with men and young or middle-aged adults. The researchers conclude their study by noting that “promoting plain water intake could be a useful public health strategy for reducing energy and targeted nutrient consumption in US adults, which warrants confirmation in future controlled interventions.”Medical News Today previously reported on a study that suggested placing water dispensers in schools lowers obesity in students. http:// www.medicalnewstoday.com.
and 32 by cesarean section(C-section). In the first 6 weeks of life, 70 were breastfed, 26 received a combination of breast milk and formula, and six of them consumed only formula. Results showed a link between the composition of the gut microbiome and the delivery mode. Differences in microbiome composition between infants delivered vaginally and infants delivered by C-section were equivalent or greater than the differences in composition by feeding method. The microbiome of infants who were breastfed exclusively was different from those who consumed formula milk or a combination. Those who were exclusively fed formula and those who were fed the combination shared a similar microbiome composition. There have been no long-term longitudinal studies of the effects of early feeding method on the microbiome, but it appears that early feeding methods could have lasting effects on microbial community
structure. These findings could provide one explanation for how breastfeeding benefits health both in childhood and in the long term. The authors conclude: “Understanding the patterns of microbial colonization of the intestinal tract of healthy infants is critical for determining the health effects of specific alterable early-life risk factors and exposures. To this end, we have identified measurable differences in microbial communities in the intestinal tracts of infants according to their delivery mode and diet, with possible consequences for both short- and long-term health.” Limitations of the study include its small sample size and the population being from a single group in the US. Future studies could also take into account the exact proportion of the infants’ diets and timing. Medical News Today recently reported on research suggesting that people with anorexia have a unique gut microbiotacomposition. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com.
Cancer risk falls with higher levels of vitamin D Researchers suggest improving people’s blood level of vitamin D could be an important tool for preventing cancer, after their study found that the risk of developing the disease rises as vitamin D levels fall. In the journal PLOS One, researchers from the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine report how they analyzed the link between vitamin D and cancer to determine what blood level of vitamin D was required to effectively reduce cancer risk. The study included all invasive cancers, excluding skin cancer. One of the authors, Cedric Garland, adjunct professor in the UCSD School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, says their study is the first to put numbers on this relationship, as he explains: “We have quantitated the ability of adequate amounts of vitamin D to prevent all types of invasive cancer combined, which had been terra incognita until publication of this paper.” Vitamin D, which is produced by the body through exposure to sunshine, helps the body control calcium and phosphate levels. It was Prof. Garland and his late brother Frank who first linked low vitamin D with cancer in the 1980s. They found people who lived at higher latitudes and thus had less access to sunlight had lower levels of vitamin D and were more likely to develop bowel cancer. Since then, further studies by the Garland brothers and others have found links between low vitamin D and other cancers, including cancers of the breast, lung and bladder. The only accurate way to measure vitamin D in the body is to measure the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood. The kidneys convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D into the active form that helps control calcium and phosphate levels. There has been much debate in recent years about what the recommended blood levels of vitamin D should be. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended a target of 20 ng/ml for bone health, which could be met in most healthy adults (aged 19-70), with the equivalent of 600 IU of vitamin D each day.
Since then, other groups have argued that the target level should be higher, at 50 ng/ml or more.In the new study, Prof. Garland and colleagues wanted to find out what blood level of vitamin D effectively reduces cancer risk. They took an approach that is not normally used. They used the results from two different types of study: one a clinical trial of 1,169 women and the other a prospective study of 1,135 women. For some of their analysis, they kept the two data sets separate and compared them, and in another part, they pooled the data to create a larger sample. The median blood level of 25hydroxyvitamin D in the participants in the clinical trial was 30 ng/ml, and in the participants in the prospective study, it was 48 ng/ ml.The researchers found that the rate of cancer incidence in the clinical study group (that had the lower median vitamin D level) was higher than in the prospective study group. The figures were 1,020 cases per 100,000 person-years and 722 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. They also found that cancer rates went down as 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels rose; women whose vitamin D level was 40 ng/ml or higher had a 67% lower risk of developing cancer than women whose vitamin D level was 20 ng/ml or lower.The researchers did not say what the optimum intake level of vitamin D should be - or how it should be generated, whether by greater exposure to sunlight, dietary changes or supplements. Prof. Garland says their findings simply show that it is possible to see reduced cancer risk when blood levels of vitamin D reach 40 ng/ml, and that higher than this, the risk drops even further. He and his colleagues conclude: “Primary prevention of cancer, rather than expanding early detection or improving treatment, will be essential to reversing the current upward trend of cancer incidence worldwide. This analysis suggests that improving vitamin D status is a key prevention tool.” Last month, Medical News Today also learned of a study that found a link between low vitamin D and aggressiveness of prostate cancer. http:// www.medicalnewstoday.com.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
Sunday September 02, 2018
Kaieteur News
$1B Kato Secondary opens tomorrow - 5 city teachers volunteer to work
The troubled $1B Kato Secondary, Region 8, is scheduled to be opened tomorrow for classes. More than two hundred students from Region Eight will have better access to a secondary education as the Kato Secondary School opens tomorrow. “Since 2017, the government of Guyana has worked assiduously and collaboratively with the region and project contractor to carry out corrective works on the facility,” a statement from government said. Also, five teachers from Georgetown will begin their teaching careers as English Majors at the facility. Initially, the Kato Secondary School located in Potaro-Siparuni, Region Eight was built after a contract was awarded to Kares Engineering Incorporated. The project was “completed” in 2015, however, audit findings
revealed that more than half of the completed structure was unsafe to house students and teachersAlmost immediately, the services of an independent consultant from the Guyana Association of Professional Engineers were requested to detail the works needed to be done. The initial contract to construct the school and dormitories cost $780Million. However, remedial works to the facility saw the cost reach at least $1Billion. The Kato Secondary School was built under the previous administration to facilitate students in the region who travel long distances to access secondary level education. However, due to the substandard work done by the contractor, it has not to date been occupied.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
US man deported from Guyana jailed 27 months for passport fraud DENVER (U.S. Attorney District of Colorado Office) -
A Southern Colorado man, Ronald Ray Horner, age 58, of
Huerfano County, was sentenced Friday by U.S.
District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 27 months
in federal prison, followed by 3 years on supervised release
for making false statements in the application and use of passports. Horner, who appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, was remanded at its conclusion. On March 15, 2017, Horner was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver. On June 18, 2018, Horner was found guilty following a oneday trial. The jury deliberated for about 30 minutes before reaching their verdict. During the summer of 2016, Horner was indicted in the District of Montana for the offense of Transportation of Child Pornography. As a result of that offense, the defendant appeared in court, and was released on bond, subject to various conditions. Two of those conditions were that he was required to surrender his passport and was ordered not to obtain another one. On August 9, 2016, the defendant went to the United States Post Office in Walsenburg, Colorado and submitted an application for a passport. He claimed that he had lost his passport, explaining, “Passport was left in suitcase after vacation (Jan 2016). Suitcase had torn seam and was discarded. I forgot the passport was in the suitcase.” The defendant further explained that he threw the suitcase in a dumpster outside the Mini Mart in Walsenburg, Colorado in January 2016. He submitted these forms, along with the requisite forms of identification, as his application for a new passport. Shortly thereafter, the defendant received a new passport in the mail. He left Colorado, traveled to Mexico on September 3, 2016, and then made his way through multiple countries in South America, including Brazil, Uruguay, and Guyana. He ultimately ended up in Trinidad and Tobago after being deported from Guyana. A DSS Special Agent spoke with Horner in Trinidad and Tobago, confiscated the passport, and arranged for the defendant’s transportation back to the United States. Following the defendant’s return to the United States, he was convicted of Transportation of Child Pornography in Montana and sentenced to 154 months. Judge Brimmer ordered the 27-month sentence in this case to be served consecutively to that sentence. “This case demonstrates why keeping our passport system secure is so important,” said U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. “By lying to get a new passport, a person charged with child porn crimes was able to travel to 5 other countries while he Continued on page 69
Sunday September 02, 2018
Kaieteur News
PAGE 67
NEW BUS FARE STRUCTURE TAKES EFFECT - Charges for operators that overprice - Those who don’t have fares displayed cannot collect increase - Operators claim some fares make no sense
Yesterday marked the day that most commuters had been dreading, the increase in bus fares. However for some, the new fares were pleasantly surprising as they were significantly lower for some routes. One such is Zone 32, which covers from the bus parks in Georgetown, to Parika, and all the stops along the way. The most notable was the fare to Parika, from Georgetown which according to the new fare structure, stands at $420. This was much to the disbelief of drivers and commuters alike, since the fare has for the longest while been $500. Several bus operators even indicated that they refuse to adhere to the new structure, saying that they had no representation in terms of the pricing for the various drops, pointing out that some of the fares when looked at in relation to the distance, simply make no sense. One such discrepancy would be that the fare from Georgetown to Uitvlugt is $220, and
the fare from Uitvlugt to Parika, is $140, which represents a total of $360, whereas the fare from Georgetown straight to Parika is now $420, which is $60 more than if a passenger was to disembark at Uitvlugt and re-embark to travel to Parika. Further analysis shows that in the case of coming to Georgetown from Parika, the prices gradually increase spanning various villages; meanwhile, from Georgetown to Parika, the prices remain the same across those very villages. This has led to many bus drivers and conductors refusing the new structure and the union, some going so far as to say they are not represented by the union and as such, will charge what they deem as fair. This however could spell trouble for these non-compliant buses, as officers have been informed that any bus operator who overcharges passengers can be charged if the passenger reports this to the police.
Furthermore, any bus that does not have the fare structure clearly displayed cannot charge the respective increases. All minibus fares saw an increase of $20 from yesterday following talks between the Ministry of Business and the United Minibus Union. The two sides agreed that a $20 acrossthe-board fare increase for minibus operators was appropriate at this time. Moreover, it is the expectation of both parties that both operators and consumers will adhere to the new fare structure. In its statement, the Ministry of Business said that it has undertaken to draft the new fare structure
for the various zones and routes, and make this available to the United Minibus Union for circulation to its members. The Ministry in a statement also said, “minibus operators are required by law to display the fare structure in all buses�. The meeting also saw both parties agreeing on the need for an established code of conduct for minibus operators and to continue their engagement on this matter. The need for proper enforcement was also discussed and there was consensus that this needed to be urgently addressed with the relevant authorities.
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SERVICES
FOR SALE
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK;Guyanapassport application. G r a p h i c s design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535.
Generac Pressure Wash for sale 3100 PSI. Tel#654-5267/ 652-2244/220-4203
ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Installations, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc call Nick 627-3206, 630-1600
Guyana Business. For everything on setting up & doing business. Check: Guyanaconnection.com; (f) Guyanaconnection; Guyanaconnection100@ gmail.com We provide Job resume, Proposals, Long or short papers, Feasibility studies etc. Call: 696-7464 Eagle’s: Re-gas –low prices, washing machine repairs, gas stove, plasma flat screen, computer repairs & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966 R&C Imports- Online shopping at the comfort of your home. Whatsapp or call Tel# 218-0007/692-6065/6007853
SALON September Cosmetology Courses $40,000 Nail Technology $25,000 Advance Make-up $15,000, All products provided. Abby #614-6749
FOR RENT
WANTED
VEHICLE FOR SALE
VACANCY
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
1 Air compressor 5HP 3 Phase 230/220 volts. Call: 628-1486/698-1134.
2006 Suzuki Escado (White) Excellent condition. Price $3.5M Neg. Contact #6093777/697-4557
Vacancy for assistant manager & shop manager at Wencai Trading. Phone 6179513
White Toyota Axio 2010 Unregistered Vehicle with low mileage and reverse camera $2.6 Neg #220-9514/645-6469
Experienced Handyman with 2 yrs experience. Apply @ Christine’s Variety, Lombard St. Contact: 227-8529
1 Toyota Raum Car, Four Milage PPP 3927 #264-2242
Vacancy for experienced female accounts clerk. Apply at Alabama Trading. 65 Robb Street.
2 bedroom apartment to rent in Pouderoyen. #642-6079
Pure breed German Shepherd pups for sale. Contact Tel# 612-6672, 697-1141
2 bedroom for working couple/single person $35,000 & $32,000 monthly light & water included. Lodge. Call: 623-0076
Just arrived from UK New Perkins & Kubota engines3,4 & 6 cylinder. Contact#220-2034/623-8078
Newly constructed 2 bedroom apt in a safe and healthy environment. Call: 698-6496/622-6512
1 Front door washing machine. Call: 613-0902/2160277 Model M truck winch. Contact Alton. #679-9181 20 feet container for sale with yellow interior. Call: 686-9296/ 653-7168
Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 HOUSE PLAN TO BE DRAWN OR YOU JUST NEED AN ESTIMATE. CALL: 216-0671/6928464/622-0267
Sunday September 02, 2018
Kaieteur News
Two bedroom Apt upstairs, 1st Street Lot 56 Alexander Village. Tel#688-9132 Salon Station Rental #6673771 1 & 2 Bedroom apartments, 3 bedroom apartments. Can be used for storage also ECD. Contact Mr. Khan #675-2550/ 656-9319 Short term only, September to March 2019, 2 bed small house in Eccles, parking available. Tel#650-4273
CAR RENTAL
TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)
DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/ 6 5 6 - 0 0 8 7 , ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494 ACCOMMODATION Secret Villa & Harmony Inn, Ideal for local & overseas guest. Tel#225-6337, 2181400/ 694-7817/668-0306 LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School. Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 644-5166/691-2561
Contract cars: Contact City Taxi Service, 8 Vlissengen Rd. Phone : 696-0404/226-1081 Driver/Porter must have valid lorry license and recent police clearance. Call: Telles Steel #231-3265/226-6771 Brokerage/Logistics Officer. Requirements: Secondary Education, Must have a valid drivers’ license. Contact#665-3676/ sales@tradelinc.com Wanted land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie or anywhere on the West Coast. Tel#642-1252 Urgently need one land in Parfaite Harmonie & Eccles. We buy with Title & Irrevocable #658-5897 1 Guard for Private Residence. Contact # 628-9268
Security personnel to work with private security firm in interior. Must have military/ police background. 500-5923/ 226-9768 1 Domestic worker, must know to cook, work time 7am3pm Monday - Saturday. Please call: 626-8880
EDUCATION IAE- Register for full time school (Grade 7-11) Lessons, Day & Evening CSEC adult classes. Call/Whatsapp #683-5742
Land to buy in Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uitvlugt, Tuschen,Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence & Zeelugt. Tel#686-9608
Register your child for after school classes for slow learners in Phonics, Reading, Maths etc, #6754379
Able bodied Porters to work on Bedford truck, serious enquiries only. Call: 625-2685/ 226-1716
Private tutor available to teach all primary subjects, CXC English, reading & writing etc. Call: 696-7467 TOLET Lodge apartments (Vlissengen/Durban): Unfurnished 1 bedroom $50,000, 2 bedroom $60,000. Furnished (for visitors) US$600-1000. Tel: 668-7687/ 677-9638/ 697-6421
Allion, Primo, Fielder Wagon, Spacio, Bluebird, 212 Carina, RZ,Pit-bull, Allex, 192 & Canter – Call: 650-7501 4 Cylinder 1900cc, Honda Accord, Owner driven. Four door automatic in good condition. Call: 643-4981 for details.
Hire & Private Car Drivers #225-3234/225-9223 Qualified & Experienced teachers for NGSA & CSEC classes at IPE Mon Repos & Grove. Call: 220-0538,2653996,629-5300,643-0777 Urgently need one house lot in Herstelling with Title and Irrevocable power. Tel# 6297760/658-5897 1 Experienced male or female to look after layer birds in the interior. Contact#699-4718 Wanted experienced Hire car drivers at Ramada Princess Hotel. Contact# 265-7075/ 616-5419
Driver/Porter must have valid lorry license and recent police clearance. Call: Telles Steel #231-3265/226-6771 Female cleaner office & home age 25 to 50. Call: 233-2745 Maid for East Bank area to cook & clean age 25 to 50. Call: 614-4358 Cook/Baker for interior location. Must know to cook & bake a wide variety. Call R&V Mining 618-2020 Vacancies exist for Cashiers/ Supermarket helpers, apply in person with written application at Nirva Supermarket 49 Sheriff & Craig St. Tel# 227-5771
1 Diesel Mechanic to work with mining company in interior. Knowledge of Perkins & Doosan equipment required. 226-9768/500-5923
Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm
Obtain a certificate in Chinese Mandarin Language. Call/Whatsapp #670-5267/ Email: chineseclasses@yahoo.com for more information.
1- 620 DAF EngineLeylandDAF Flatbed lorry, Tray 30ft 10- Guysuco Lorries 1 DAF engine. owner migrating #228-5655, 6498449
LAND FOR SALE 5 acres of Vacant Transported land @ Brahn, West Coast Berbice. $10M Negotiable. Call: 601-5739/ 718-444-1944/917-628-9492 Phase (2) Tuschen $1.3M Uitvlugt $2.9M Zeelugt $2.3M Tel#697-6311 Herstelling (110ft x 60ft) $5M Farm $2.6M Schnoord $2.4M Uivlugt $2.5M Parfaite Harmonie $1.1M Eccles $7.5M. Tel# 648-1635 Prime land to build that dream home. Not far from Princess, New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: 669-8397 Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uivlugt, Tuschen, Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence, Zeelugt. Tel# 686-9608 One hundred (100) acres agricultural land, right bank, Barima River, NWD, Essequibo. 668-7687/ 6779638 Uivlugt New Scheme (1st Street 100ft x 50ft) with reserve $2.8M. Tel#629-7760/658-5897 Prime Residential lot on East Bank $7M Pay $4.5M now, pay balance in 3 years. Tel#651-1969 WANTED Female Babysitter age 35-50 in Georgetown, 6 days per week, call 614-5711 to apply.
Carpenter & Mason to do Maintenance work at Adamantium Holdings. Call: 223-5273/74 One experienced driver, apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street, Bourda Manager to work at Xenon Hotel in Charity. Call#2235273/74 Driver/Expediter. Call: 2235273/74 Office Assistant: 5 subjects CXC (Mathematics & English), Computer Literate. Submit application to P.O box 16005 Georgetown, Guyana / jobapp9051@gmail.com One Tutor/Nanny to teach a 3 year old boy from 7:3012:30pm Pay $70,000 monthly. Call: 623-1615 One welder, Apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street, Bourda 1 Grillman (Driver, license a plus) 1 Kitchen Assistant, 1 live in help from Berbice/ Essequibo. Contact X’s Grill & Cuisine. 675-2550/656-9313 Big Kahuna Hot Dogs is looking for team members. Ages 25-35 Males and Females. Call: 614-2412 Cashier- CXC Required, Porters, Cleaners, Drivers. Survival Supermarket 16 Vlissengen Rd, Newtown Continued on page 69
Sunday September 02, 2018
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Kaieteur News
CONSUMER CONCERNS
PARKING METER SCHEME REVISITED BY PAT DIAL A few Sundays ago, in one of the dailies, the Parking Meter Contract between Smart City Solutions Co of Mexico and the Georgetown City Council was published. This was the first time that this document was publicized in this way. This, together with an earlier media report of a few months ago that the City Council had adopted, the Report of their renegotiating team which they had appointed to review their Contract with Smart City, gave the impression that the Council was on its way to starting up the Parking Meter Scheme again. Several consumer activists had informed us that the City Council had decided to move slower on this issue owing to the imminency of the Local Government elections. It was feared that since the Scheme was unpopular in the City, city councillors who supported the Scheme may find their reelection more difficult. This leads to the logical conclusion that those candidates who are offering themselves to the various constituencies should be made to give their position on the establishment of the Parking Meter scheme and should pledge themselves to periodically report to their constituencies on the main issues being deliberated upon by the City Council. In revisiting the Parking Meter Scheme, it is apposite that we recap a few facts about it: Firstly, no feasibility study of the Scheme was done, and if one was done, the Company has studiously kept it away from the Georgetown citizens. Secondly, the Contract was negotiated and agreed to without the City Hall being accorded expert legal advice and this has resulted in its being one-sided and in some ways not in the interest of the Guyanese side. Thirdly, the legality of the Contract is open to question on several
grounds. Fourthly, the issue is before the Courts and until a final decision has been arrived at, the City Council could not proceed with the Scheme. One of the most important things to note about the Parking Meter Scheme is that it has no relationship to traffic control. The raison d’etre of the Scheme is to raise money from the citizens and those persons from the countryside who may visit Georgetown with their vehicles. This is clearly illustrated by the fact that most of the parking meters are placed in parts of the City where there is very little traffic. It should therefore be emphasized that the Parking Meter Scheme is not a traffic control measure but a revenue-raising one. It should be reiterated that nowhere else in the world had parking meters been instituted primarily as a revenue-gathering measure. If parking meters are instituted as primarily a revenue-gathering measure, it inevitably leads to the unjust exploitation of the citizens. There are a number of other issues about the Parking Meter Scheme, which would have to be resolved before the Scheme could become fully acceptable to the public. We will give some of them at random:In the Contract between Smart City and the City Council, Smart City would be allocated 80% of the profits while the City Council would have to be contented with 20%. In this equation, the City Council would be contributing more than 80% of the input to the Scheme, which would include the use of the road-system of the city of Georgetown which is worth billions of dollars, the ultimate responsibility for enforcement, and protecting the Parking Meters by night and day. This would imply
US man deported from... From page 66 was under indictment. We can’t and won’t allow that.” “The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to making sure that those who commit passport and visa fraud face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Resident Agent in Charge Angela Brenner of the Diplomatic Security Service. “The strong relationship we enjoy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world is vital towards ensuring the integrity of U.S. travel documents and protecting greater U.S. interests.” This case was investigated by the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. The defendant was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel McIntyre and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Brown and Rebecca Weber. (www.kktv.com)
the deployment of 30% of the Constabulary to these tasks costing millions of dollars. From their input to the Scheme, the City Council should receive at least 80% of the profits. The present profit-sharing arrangement is highly iniquitous to the Guyana side. The Parking Meter Scheme will be a substantial drain on Guyana’s foreign exchange and no estimate of the US dollars to be taken out of the country has been made to the Bank of Guyana or the Ministry of Finance. Smart City will have to correct this omission. In the Contract, Smart City is allowed the concession to build parking garages. Parking garages is a different industry from outdoor
From page 68
VACANCY Chef and cook- Preferably carnegie trained. Call: 2257933 or visit 173 Sheriff Street. Room Attendant, Deskstaff, Supervisor 25-45 years old Tel#225-0198 or visit 233 South Rd, Lacytown. FOR SALE/RENT Central Hotel building @ South Road. Prime location, ideal for business with chairs, tables & birdcages. Tel: 662-9755, 686-0444 PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Vill. WCB 3 House Lots. Rice Cultivation 49ftx10,314ft length. Price $18M. Contact# 648-7109/686-4818 Lot 89 Robb Street, Lacytown, Georgetown. Next door to Mike’s Pharmacy. Phone: 617-5323, 666-8052 3 storey commercial building. Location- Lot 1486 Plot B Herstelling (2 Bridge) EBD. Suitable for school/ apartments. Contact #6093777/686-0522 TOLET Fully furnished (1) bedroom apartment with all modern amenities in a quiet neighbourhood @ Durban backlands. Tel#693-9494/2310051/611-9880
parking and the City Council will have to negotiate a fair return from such a venture. At the moment, it is a giveaway of public assets and this omission must be corrected. It seems that the Contract precludes business houses from using their own parking or owners using their empty lots as paid parking or even their yards. The City Council should try to extricate themselves from this illegality. Parking meters or parking spaces outside business places could
impede the loading and unloading of their goods and this is bound to result in a great deal of litigation for which the taxpayer will ultimately pay. The parking meter rates proposed by Smart City are far too high and, indeed oppressive, and seem to be a conversion of the US dollar rates charged abroad into Guyana dollars. Such high rates would prevent people from the countryside from coming to Georgetown to do their business, resulting in
economic loss to the City and its residents; it would be a social setback to the many young people who would have owned a car for the first time and would have been faced with prohibitive parking rates; and it is inevitable in a milieu of resentment and disgruntlement that there would be attempted vandalization of the parking meters. The City Council will have to review the Contract making changes so that it becomes acceptable to the public.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
Corrupt persons do not leave evidence lying around
From page 3 confused with what is taking place in the courts. He insisted that the Ministry of Legal Affairs is not a prosecutorial agency.Rather, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is engaged in those prosecutions. He said that Ministry of Legal Affairs is concerned with public law rather than criminal charges against individuals. According to the President, the police's Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and the State Assets Recovery Agency
(SARA) have their responsibilities. Acknowledging that prosecuting a corrupt person is not easy, the Head of State pointed out that a corrupt person or a criminal does not readily leave stolen money lying about, or invoices and vouchers.Rather, he tries to protect…he tries to conceal the crime, and it is sometimes difficult to trace. Granger made it clear that his Cabinet of Ministers is under very clear instructions to abide by the rulings of the court as is evident in the last Judicial Review Act.
“Cabinet took a decision that once the court has ruled, they will abide by the ruling of the court.” Granger also noted that there is no “golden rule” that says that once a case is brought to the court the person will be found guilty. “So the Minister of Legal Affairs is not a judge… the courts are the judges… the DPP is not the judge, the courts are the judges. The courts are the magistrates. So we have to look there to see where these cases are won and lost.”
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Head of State says… Govt. will determine pace of Stabroek Block development, not Exxon By Kiana Wilburg It will not be left up to ExxonMobil to decide the pace at which the oil fields in the Stabroek Block will be developed. According to President David Granger, this will be decided by the Government of Guyana. At a press conference held on Friday, the Head of State said that his newly-established Department of Energy is reviewing all development plans for the Stabroek Block which were submitted by ExxonMobil. He said, “So it is not a matter for Exxon, it is our sovereign right.” This move by the President would be in keeping with at least part of the advice of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in one of its reports. That document was prepared by Anthony Paul, Principal Consultant of the Association of Caribbean Energy Specialists Ltd. Paul in the report said that there is an immediate need for the Government of Guyana to review the upcoming plan of development by ExxonMobil. The Chatham House Advisor said, “It is important that the Government has its own capability to evaluate the plan provided. There is no single unique way to develop an oil or gas field. The core objectives of investors and governments are quite different and can lead to competing ap-
Local Content Expert, Anthony Paul proaches, which can erode value for one or another stakeholder. This requires adept negotiating, based on very good data and analysis. Investors are intent on making as high a return on their investment and as quickly as possible.” The Energy Strategist continued, “Governments, on the other hand, want to extract as much of the resource as possible, all things else being equal. This is the stated objective of many countries, Norway included. Several variables impact the cost, rate of recovery and ultimate recovery (some oil and gas is always left in the ground) and choosing from the options can mean the difference of hundreds of millions of dollars or barrels of oil.” The Local Content Consultant said that these vari-
ables include the number and location of wells, both producers and injectors; rate of depletion; location and timing of injectors to enhance recovery; and the design of facilities (FPSO, wellheads, umbilicals, etc., in this case). Paul said that making and defending these choices require strong technical capacity, which includes economists, contract analysts, modelers, tax legislation, cost data, project plans, market data, training, existing models (commercial/off the shelf). Further to this, Paul said that the implications of full field vs. partial development (early production) must be well understood. In this regard, the geophysicist said that the government needs to consider that there are pros and cons. He said that the authorities need to ask crucial questions, which include: what will drive the decision-making? Does Guyana have a strategy/ priorities to choose between these trade-offs? Does Guyana want to approve a partial development before Lisa Three is drilled? Is there a communications strategy to manage public perceptions? Paul said that local content and capacity development strategy, plans and procedures, along with targets, should be part of the Plan of Development for ExxonMobil.
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Serena Williams beats sister Venus to reach fourth round BBCsport - Serena Williams made light work of her older sister Venus Williams to reach the US Open fourth round in New York. The 23time Grand Slam champion, looking to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24, needed just 71 minutes to win 6-1 6-2. The American siblings, aged 38 and 36, were playing for the 30th time - but it was not much of a contest. Serena Williams, who had a medical timeout in the first set, will play Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi in the last 16. Kanepi, 33, dumped world number one Simona Halep out in the first round and has not dropped a set so far at Flushing Meadows. By dropping just three games, Serena earned her joint biggest victory over Venus, alongside her 6-1 6-2 win at Charleston in 2013. Venus said she thought it was her sister’s best performance in their matches, because she did not “even get to really touch any balls”. The
Williams sisters have created a special on-court rivalry which first began on the WTA Tour when they met at the 1998 Australian Open. Since then they have won a combined 30 Grand Slam titles as Serena Williams gradually came out of her older sister’s shadow to dominate the women’s game. In turn Serena has edged their head-to-head meetings, claiming her 18th win over Venus with victory in Friday’s latenight session on Arthur Ashe Stadium.Fourth seed Angelique Kerber’s bid for consecutive Grand Slam titles ended when 29th seed Dominika Cibulkova defeated the German 3-6 6-3 6-3 in their third round match yesterday. Momentum shifted firmly in feisty Cibulkova’s favor in the third set when she broke to take a 4-2 lead and held for 5-2. The Slovakian fell to the ground and let out a scream when Kerber sent a backhand wide to end a quality match between two of the game’s premier counter-punchers.
Serena Williams is chasing a seventh US Open singles title. (GettyImagez) Cibulkova faces last year’s U.S. Open runner-up, American Madison Keys, in the fourth round. Keys leads Cibulkova 4-0 in head-tohead meetings. Kerber, who won Wimbledon in July, was the latest favorite to be knocked out of the women’s
Sunday September 02, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) There may be some conflict today, Aries, especially in the morning. Your general mood is quite good, but there's a strong force asking you to be more realistic in your approach. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Your mind may be a little cloudy most of the day, Taurus, and you could find it hard to ground yourself. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Praise you may receive this morning could make you feel on top of the world, Gemini, but try not to let this feeling go to your head. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Things should improve for you as the day progresses, Cancer. The key is to stay loose and not be concerned with the situation's outcome. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your emotions could feel restricted today, Leo, a feeling that may be difficult to shake. Take this opportunity to calm down and relax. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) It could be hard to find your footing early in the day, Virgo. You may be better off sleeping in. Have a good breakfast and relax in the morning.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Use the morning to take care of yourself, Libra. You could be so concerned with the world and the shared environment that you forget to take care of you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Get to some water today and reconnect with this element, like lapping waves against the shore SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Emotionally speaking, you should be doing quite well today, Sagittarius, especially in the morning. This is a good time to take charge of projects that require definite leadership. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You may get frustrated today, especially in the morning when other people's egos seem to be strong. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) People may see you as the personification of drama, especially this morning This is a good time to express your emotions and get things out of your system. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) There may be a damper on your mood today, Pisces, especially in the morning. It could seem as if everyone is having fun but you.
singles at Flushing Meadows after top seed Simona Halep and second seed Caroline Wozniacki. Last year’s US Open finalist Madison Keys recovered from a set down to beat Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic 4-6 6-1 6-2 and reach the last 16. The American was broken in her first service game of the match en route to losing the first set but broke twice in the second to take it to a decider. The first five games of the third set went against serve before the American held for 4-2 and closed out the match. The 14th seed was beaten by compatriot Sloane Stephens in last year’s final. She will face 29th seed Dominika Cibulkova. Elsewhere, Dutch 13th seed Kiki Bertens was knocked out by Czech Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (7-1).
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From page 77 practical sessions they were shown the various ways in receiving, passing, shooting, dribbling, and heading, overlapping, goalkeeping and throwing, taking on the thigh and chest among other points. They were also schooled in defensive, attacking, overlapping and set playing among other tactics. They also learnt the rules of the game, discipline, etiquette, good table manners, HIV and AIDS and general education with Physical Fitness and fair play being an integral part of the sessions. During the camp the youths were presented with a number of football apparel including trunks, football boots, hoses, goalkeeping gloves and Jerseys, including school supplies. At the end of the camp the youths were presented with certificates, while the more outstanding participants were presented with special gifts. During their time in training, they were spoken to by a number of resource persons including Acting Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, members of the Guyana Police Force, The Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and the Ministry Of Social Cohesion among others. While a number of former and current football players and official carried the youths through the sessions. The coordinators were former National Players Neil Humphrey and Kenrick Bowry. The main aim of the programme was to have the youths better able to appreciate the rules and regulation and improve their knowledge of the game, improve their overall skills and understand sportsmanship and have a better human relationship with others. ASK – G TEAM CLAIMS 26 IN BARBADOS KARATE TOURNEY The ASK – G team aka YMCA recently returned with 26 medals from Barbados, where the IKD Karate World Cup 2018 was held. The team of 22 was made up of mostly persons competing internationally for the first time, producing the following results in several categories– Junior Categories: Girls 8-11 Team compromising of Anya Insanally, Amara Nandan and Rachel Persaud won 3 sets of Bronze medals for Kata, Embu and Bunkai. Boys 16 – 19 Team of Avinash Ramgolam, Trevon Miller and Shakeem Walcott won bronze medals for Enbu. Junior Individuals – Girls 8-10 Anya Insanally earned herself Silver with a confident performance in Kata then going to a tiebreaker with her Trinidadian counterpart. Adult 40-49 Men’s Category the team of Malcolm Francis, Patrick Gurahoo and Parmeshwar Persaud won 2 sets of Gold medals in Embu and Bunkai, and Silver medals in Kata. The Kumite team of Keith Beaton, Malcolm Francis and Patrick Gurahoo won Silver Medals. In the 40 -49 men’s Individual Kumite, Keith Beaton made light work of the elimination rounds, earning a spot in the finals, where he
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Kaieteur News
Golden Jaguars’ visit to the museum of the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF).
came up against a Canadian won a well deserved silver medal. The other members of the team survived some fierce competition with the Boys Team comprising of Bohan Cao, Farhan Jahan and Abhigyan Chaterdeo making it up to the semi finals. The Boys 16-19 B team of Shemar Parkinson, D’andre DaSilva and Sean Wesley also made it to the semi finals. The Women’s Team 20 – 39 of Rebecca Wesley, Wanda Agdomar and Kristine Ramkissoon stepped out on to the competition floor assertively but only made it through to the Team Kumite finals and were edged out of the bronze medal by Barbados. ASKG’s only representative in the Men’s 20-39 Individual category, the most competitive one, saw Team Captain Roger Peroune making it through to the semi final round in Kumite, where he came up a bit short against host country Barbados. The Kata finals in this category also saw some of the fiercest competition with Peroune being the first Guyanese to qualify to the finals in a World Cup. There was much excitement as spectators anxiously watched competitors go through their routine and Peroune who holds a gold medal from the local National Championships, came up against current titleholders including the last World Cup Gold Medalist and was edged out to fourth place. ASKG would like to express heartfelt gratitude to all their sponsors, supporters and well-wishers and will continue to train even harder, as they now prepare for the Caribbean Championships in 2019. BRAMBLE TO LEAD WINDIES ‘B’ IN CANADA’S SUMMERFEST CRICKET The Selection Panel of Cricket West Indies has announced a 14member WINDIES “B” squad for the Cricket Canada Summer fest which starts today and concludes on September 7. The team will play a series to include four T20s (including a warmup) along with two 50-overs matches. A WINDIES B Team was
in Canada a few months ago and was a beaten finalist in the inaugural Global T20. Anthony Bramble was also the captain of the team. Fresh from an exciting 102 runs from 58 balls, Kimani Melius, the leading run-scorer for the Under 19 Championship now on in St Vincent, is part of the squad for this 9-day tournament. SQUAD: Anthony Bramble (Captain), Sunil Ambris, Alick Athanaze, Sheeno Berridge, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Derval Green, Jahmar Hamilton, Sherman Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Kimani Melius, Jeavor Royal, Jomel Warrican. Team Management Unit: Esuan Crandon (Head Coach), Sir Curtly Ambrose (Coach), Alexander Forde (Strength & Conditioning Trainer), Neil Barry (Physiotherapist), Avenesh Seetaram (Data Analyst). CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said, “This WINDIES “B” Tour to Canada will provide another opportunity for our young players to gain experience in the shorter formats. The itinerary comprises both Twenty20 and 50 overs-a-side formats and has allowed CWI to have a look at players who are not involved with the ongoing CPL. This tournament has the potential to assist our player development processes by exposing more of our younger players to more competitive environments.” GUYANA SURGE TO FIFTH 50OVER U-19 C’SHIP WITH 7WICKET WIN OVER WINDWARD ISLANDS Kingstown, St Vincent, CMC – Guyana’s last round victory over the Windward Islands coupled with Trinidad and Tobago’s heartbreaking loss to Jamaica helped them to capture the Regional Under-19 50over title here yesterday. Both teams headed into the final round of matches with a similar record of four wins and one loss, but Guyana was crowned champions after they soundly whipped the Windwards by seven wickets, while T&T lost by four runs to Jamaica. Guyana’s victory was spurred on by a spirited bowling performance by opening bowlers Joshua
Jones and Qumar Torrington, along with Kevelon Anderson. Jones struck with just the second ball of the innings, dismissing Jaheil Walters for a duck without a run on the board and 12 runs later he also accounted for the wicket of Teddy Bishops. And once Anderson was brought into the attack, he quickly snapped up the wicket of top scorer Jahseon Alexander for 22, to spark a middle order collapse which saw the Windwards lose their last seven wickets for 54 runs. Anderson was the main culprit, finishing with figures of 4-26 and he received good support from Torrington (3-26) and Jones (2-23). Guyana was actually in early trouble at 14 for two at one stage, before a 63-run partnership between Sachin Singh and Kevin Sinclair carried them to safety, with Sinclair topscoring with 39 and Singh stroking an unbeaten 27. Needing a win to have any hope of doing the double after capturing the 4-Day title, T&T fell agonisingly short. They looked to be on their way to victory when Justyn Gangoo (3-4) and Crystian Thurton (3-17), ran through Jamaica’s middle order to rout them for just 107 runs. But Sanjay Browne and Kirk MzKenzie had other ideas, as they reduced T&T to 73-9. However, the last wicket pair of Jayden Seales and Gangoo put on 30 runs to carry their side within a whisker of an unlikely win. It was not to be though, as Roberto Simpson trapped Seales lbw for 24 to spark wild celebrations among the Jamaican players. The day’s other match between Barbados and the Leeward Islands ended in a no result due to inclement weather. Barbados were seemingly on their way to victory, having posted a total of 174 for six in their 20 overs and then restricted their opponents to 33 for four before the rains came. Guyana ended with 27.8 points, T&T was second with 22.3 points, Jamaica third on 20 points, Barbados fourth on 18.8 points, the Windwards finished fifth on 17.2 points, with the Leeward Islands (8.8) and Canada (0.6) points bringing up the rear.
BWF CAREBACO REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018 Priyanna Ramdhani ends with 3 gold medals Priyanna Ramdhani ended the 2018 edition of the CAREBACO Regional Under-11, 13, 15, & 17 Championships with a bang capturing two more gold medals to end with three when the curtains came down on Wednesday night at the Ring Sports Center, Paramaribo, Suriname. Ramdhani was crowned the Triple Champion in the Girls Under17 category as she gathered the highest points in the Singles, Girls Doubles as well as the Mixed Doubles categories. After having won the Girls doubles teaming up with a Barbadian player, Ramdhani stiormed to further gold medals in the Singles and Mixed Doubles on the final night, Wednesday. Competition had gotten underway since August 17th last. Results: Under-17 Girls Singles Final Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Chaista Soemodipoero of Suriname: 21-6, 21-7 Under-17 Mix Doubles Final: Priyanna Ramdhani & Vance Juteram of T&T defeated Jair Naipal & Erisa Bleau of Suriname: 21-15, 217 According to the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA), it is extremely happy with the performances of the players once again at the CAREBACO Championships. A release stated that: “It was the best for us as it’s the first time we are playing and medaled in the senior International and it’s also the first time we have won the Under-19 International.” Collectively, the GBA team won 12 medals as follows: Priyanna Ramdhani (8 medals) 5 Gold/2-Under-19 International; 3Regional, 2-Silver (Seniors International and 1Bronze (Senior International) Narayan Ramdhani (2 medals) 2-Bronze - Senior International Jonathan Mangra (1-medal) 1-Bronze - Senior International Mishka Beharry (1 medal) 1-Bronze – Regional
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We take a look back at the key events that took place and made the news in the local sporting arena over the past week BRAZIL “TRAIN AND PLAY” CAMP... A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT HAS SET THE STANDARDS FORAPOSITIVE FUTURE “It’s been an excellent two weeks, we’ve had fun, we’ve had laughter, moments of pain, moments of frustration but all in all its been an absolute wonderful camp”, the words of Head Coach of the Golden Jaguars, Michael Johnson, on the conclusion of the historic Guyana Football Federation (GFF) “Train and Play” Camp held in Rio de Janeiro, which saw a number of players, the core being Under-23, exposed to the new playing philosophy of the GFF. A number of matches were played, which afforded the young players the opportunity to showcase their skills with a view of catching the eyes of the technical staff ahead of the kick-off of the Concacaf Nations League on September 6 when Guyana take on Barbados, at the Leonora Track and Field Facility. The Brazil “Train and Play” Camp also afforded the new staff, the largest that has ever been pulled together by the GFF, the chance to bond ahead of what will be an exciting period of history, according to Johnson, with the commencement of Project 100, which is cracking the top100 FIFA rankings. The former Jamaican player underscored the fact that a stronger relationship has been established among both team and staff with a thorough appreciation of how they are going to work: “Where we go from here is to keep the connections open and keep moving things forward. We’re going to be in Guyana in a matter of five days, so it’s a great opportunity again to get to connect with the staff, connect with the players and continue the process. Our job’s not just about the first men’s senior starting team, it’s also about the development of the younger players and the coaches.” The fact that Guyana has never qualified for a major tournament motivates this new team to work even harder, Johnson noted, with the first task being the CONCACAF Nations League match against Barbados. “Having worked with the 23s and seeing some of the players that can breach that group, as well as having seen some of the names on that first squad that we’re picking, it’s really exciting and I can’t wait to get to work. What we are promising is a team that would be representative of
Guyana, a team that’s going to play with vibrancy, fluidity and most importantly give 100% towards the country.” Opportunity for all stakeholders to believe in the journey Johnson, the leading tactician on this Technical Team, is of the view that this new journey needs the support of all stakeholders to make it a reality. He posited that it’s not just about the players, the staff and the GFF but all and sundry. “It’s for everybody connected to Guyana to make history. I’m a serial winner, I’m fascinated with winning, I’ve been fortunate in my career to be a winner and it doesn’t stop, I want more success. I went to the Brazilian museum with the team on Friday and it really inspired and motivated me more to try and move things forward for a successful campaign for Guyana and I want everybody involved. The businesses, the government, the fans, we can’t do this on our own; we need businesses to reach out and sponsor areas of the GFF’s programme, which would really help drive things forward. I am fully committed, the staff’s fully committed to make sure that we give 125% towards the campaign for 2026, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and breaking that top 100.” GUYANATO HOSTCARIBBEANBOXINGCHAMPIONSHIPS THISYEAREND Local pugilists and boxing fans will be delighted to hear that the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will be hosting another regional tournament, right on the heels of the Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior Championship which was successfully hosted this month. This tournament is the Caribbean Senior Boxing Championships which will see the best of the Caribbean gathering at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue to slug it out for top honours from December 6th to 9th, this year. In addition, for the first time, the mighty boxing terroritory of Puerto Rico has been invited. This decision was made a few weeks ago and head of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle, noted that this will be very beneficial to Guyana since it will allow his association to field a full 18-member team which usually cost around $5million when calculating travel and accommodation figures. He further explained that when GBA has fielded full teams of recent, the amateur boxing body has been able count major success and Ninvalle was adamant that Guyana will be looking to regain their title come Decem-
Five in a row! The victorious Guyana U19 Team shows the magic number. ber. The due diligence of selecting team Guyana will see the Terrence Ali National Championships being held in mid-November after which the best of the lot will be encamped. The full complement of Guyanese boxing officials, mainly referees/judges, will also be exposed at this event according to Ninvalle. They will be involved in a training programme, possibly for a 2 star accreditation. MANGAL, PRASHAD AND SOLOMON TRIUMPH IN TROPHY STALLANNUAL TOURNEY The weather was good, the golf course was in excellent condition and so was the mood of the golfers as they vied for supremacy in one of the usual highlight tournaments of the year, - the annual Trophy Stall Golf Tournament - of Saturday August 25, 2018, played in the now refreshing Flights format. Managing Director and Proprietor of Trophy Stall Mr Ramesh Sunich, outstanding for his contribution of trophies, support and sponsorship to several sports disciplines in Guyana, such as boxing, basketball, cricket and football to name a few, being commited to the development of golfing in Guyana, sponsored another annual Trophy Stall Golf Tournament, which he started doing since 2009. Among the competitors were Mike Mangal and Patrick Prashad, who had been knocking at the door for victory for quite some time, were finally able to triumph over their Flight competitors, while Maurice Solomon, in his usual inimitable style continued his winning streak to take home the 1stin his category.
In the ‘A’ or Championship Frlight, (handicap 0 – 9,) winners were Mike Mangal 72/80 – 1st and youthful Kevin Dinanauth (son of the former Guyana Open champion Mohanlall Dinanauth) 78/81 – 2nd. Also of honorable mention in this category were Nazeem ‘Papo’ Haniff 81/ 88 and Richard Haniff 82/91. In the ‘B’ Flight, (handicapp 10 – 18) the winners were Patrick Prashad 69/ 79 – 1st and Lekhnarine ‘Mahesh’ Shivraj 71/88 – 2nd. This category, which has the most golfers of the three categories, usually has as keen competition as the Championship Flight. Other golfers who played well but did not reach the winners’ row were (Club President) Aleem Hussain 73/ 83; Parmanand ‘Max’ Persaud 75/89; Joaan Deo 75/91; Kalyan Tiwari 76/89; (winner of the Flight in the Crown Mining tournament of Wednesday, August 22,) Aasrodeen Shaw 77/91 and Gavin Todd 79/96. In the ‘C’ Flight, (handicap 19 – 28,) winners were Maurice Solomon 79/100 and Robert Hanoman 80/128. Mark Lashley 91/115 also performed creditably in the ‘C’ Flight. Two other prizes were awarded to Partrick Prashad one for the Best Gross of 79 and the other for the overall Best Net of 69. Nearest to The Pin was won by David Harry, while the Longest Drive was won by (the often winner) Richard Haniff. GMRSC KOTS 3... KING MOHAMED’S UNCHALLENGED South Dakota’s drag strip record holders, Team Mohamed’s, remained poised on the drag racing throne after yesterday’s King of the Strip (KOTS) 3 drag race meet
concluded at the Timehri track. In the unlimited class final, Mohamed’s rival, Shawn Persaud and his Toyota Caldina failed to take to the starting line, gifting the Terrence Cox driven Nissan GTR ‘Goliath’ an automatic victory. However, the fans were not disappointed as they were treated to two high-powered exhibition drags which both featured the amazing GTR. Owner of Team Mohamed’s which is poised to retain the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) Super Bike title, Azruddin Mohamed, exclaimed delight with the win, “Team Mohamed’s always deliver. We are happy with remaining the best and we will continue working to stay on top both locally and regionally. It’s unfortunate that Shawn (Persaud) didn’t show up for the final but nevertheless we are satisfied that we are still able to put on a show for the fans.” In the nine-second class, Randel Daby was unmatched but he proved no competition for the GTR ‘Goliath’ in the final exhibition race of the day. Damion Persuad defended his 10-second class in his Toyota Caldina after Shairaz Roshandin sped away in the final to ‘break out’ of his class. Chet Singh won the 11 second class, while Pierre Singh won the 12 and Narindradutt Mangar copped the 13-second class. And, before Balram Ramdeo won the 14-second, Akram Subhan was the first winner of the day which was threatened by two periods of heavy rainfall, as he took the 15-second class. Despite all the smack talk, the undefeated Team
Mohamed’s and Damion Persaud were the only contestants able to retain their titles. Note: all results are unofficial and the GMRSC are scheduled to release official results today. HEARTS OF OAK MASTERS FC ANNUALTEACH THEM YOUNG CAMP 21ST EDITION ENDS The Annual Hearts of Oak Masters’ “Teach them Young” football camp ended recently with a presentation and prize giving ceremony at the Prison Officers Sports Club, Penitentiary Walk, New Amsterdam. A number of parents and guardians, who turned up during the period of the camp, were also n attendance at the closing session. This year the camp was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Youth, Sports and Culture and the Guyana Prison Service. The camp which was in its 21st year was held at the All Saints Scot Church Ground and the Prison Officers Sports Club and the All Saints Primary School and lasted for a period of five weeks. The programme was held five days weekly, MondayFriday from 09:00hrs -13:00 hrs. The camp, which commenced on July 20th, attracted over 110 participants. Both males and females participated in the sessions with the age range from 4-20 years. During the five weeks the participants were further divided into three sections - 4years to 8-years, 9-years to 12years and 12-years plus. During the camp the youths we r e t a u g h t t h e finer points of the game which included both theory and practical.At the (Continued on page 76)
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CNL Countdown - Golden Jaguars’ Squad announced
UK based defender Ronayne Marsh-Brown earns first call up Golden Jaguars’ Head Coach, Michael Johnson, has announced a 30-man squad, including seven standby players, to face Barbados in their first match of the Concacaf Nations League scheduled for the National
Track and Field Centre this Thursday from 19:00hrs. The squad, which consists of Guyana and international-based players from England, Canada, Portugal and Trinidad and Tobago includes: three Goalkeepers,
Guyana Women qualify for 2019 Pan-Am Games The Guyana women’s squash team yesterday qualified for the 2019 Pan-Am Games in Peru. Their day did not start off very successful, as they took on a powerful Colombian ladies’ team in the quarter finals of the women’s team event. Even with a win from Nicolette Fernandes, the ladies couldn’t take one more match to advance to the semifinals and automatically qualify. However, they were placed in the 5/8 draw for another chance to qualify, with a matchup in the evening session against Brazil. A win against our neighbors to the south would cash their ticket to Peru. First on was Nicolette Fernandes, who played with precision game was just too much for Thaisia Serfini, ending in a 30 win for Guyana. The next player on was Mary
Fung-A-Fat, current national champion who was played one of her best matches of the tournament, and won 3-0 against her Juliana Periera, using a combination of holds and lobs to keep her opponent off balanced. Taylor Fernandes then followed up the dead rubber in defeating Giovana Viega in straight games, 2-0. (Dead rubbers are 2 best of 3 games) Guyana will now try for its best finish at a Pan-Am Championship as it plays fellow qualifier, Chile for 5th.The Guyanese men had a different experience, facing a must win match with El Salvador, lost their first two matches to lose out on qualifying for Peru as well. Sunil Seth and Richard Chin, lost their matches three love and three one respectively. They will now face Cayman Islands in the consolation round of the tournament.
eight Defenders, six Midfielders and six Forwards. The players on standby are all Guyana-based and include one Goalkeeper, two Defenders, two Midfielders and two Forwards. Johnson, in an invited comment, said the squad is “strong and competitive”: “We feel it’s a strong and competitive squad with a variety of options as we look to embark on the Nations League campaign. We have a positive blend of Guyana and international-based players in the squad but they all understand they have to earn the right to wear the badge.” Among the squad is a debutant Ronayne MarshBrown, an England-based solid left side defensive option who played a season professionally for RKC Waalwijk in Holland. At that time, RKC Waalwijk was then playing in the Dutch Eredivisie, under former To t t e n h a m Hotspurs Coach Martin Jol. Marsh-Brown is known for his commitment to the game. He is the older brother of England Forwards Keanu and Ky Marsh-Brown. Technical
Senior Guyana Squad # Name 1 Jason Cromwell 2 Kai McKenzie-Lyle 3 Akel Clarke 4 Terence Vancooten 5 Sam Cox 6 Kevin Layne 7 Jake Newton 8 Kevin Dundas 9 Jelani Smith 10 Ronayne Marsh-Brown 11 Kester Jacobs 12 Neil Danns 13 Delwin Fraser 14 Brandon Beresford 15 Anthony Benfield 16 Daniel Wilson 17 Vurlon Mills 18 Andrew Murray 19 Dellon Lanferman 20 Kelsey Benjamin 21 Trayon Bobb 22 Pernell Schultz 23 Sheldon Holder Standby List 24 Sese Norville 25 Cecil Jackman 26 Rashaun Ritch 27 Curtez Kellman 28 Ryan Hackett 29 Domini Garnett 30 Delroy Fraser Director of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Ian Greenwood, explains the standby list: “The recently-concluded preparatory “Train and Play” Camp in Brazil enabled the Technical staff to assess the players in the pool through a variety of exercises including fitness. While it was a competitive process to shortlist the 23-man squad, it was felt that these players had enough
Position Goalkeeper Goalkeeper Goalkeeper Defender Defender Defender Defender Defender Defender Defender Defender Midfielder Midfielder Midfielder Midfielder Midfielder Midfielder Forward Forward Forward Western Forward Forward Western Forward
Club Country Buxton United -Guyana Barnet FC -England Fruta Conquerors-Guyana Stevenage FC -England Wealdstone FC -England NA United FC -Guyana Hamble Club FC -England Den Amstel FC -Guyana Sigma FC -Canada Whitehawk FC -England Den Amstel FC -Guyana Bury FC -England GDF -Guyana 1st Dezembro -Portugal Fruta Conquerors-Guyana Western Tigers FC -Guyana Western Tigers FC -Guyana Caledonia AIA -T&T Den Amstel FC -Guyana Tigers FC -Guyana 1st Dezembro -Portugal Tigers FC -Guyana Caledonia AIA -T&T
Goalkeeper Defender Defender Midfielder Midfielder Forward Forward
Milerock FC -Guyana Fruta Conquerors -Guyana Fruta Conquerors -Guyana Western Tigers FC -Guyana Fruta Conquerors -Guyana Fruta Conquerors - Guyana GDF -Guyana
of what is required to wear the badge at the highest level of football in Guyana and therefore, are being called to be available in the event of injury or any unforeseen circumstances.” The Golden Jaguars’ international-based players and the Technical squad are scheduled to arrive today while Barbados’ team is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. Early-bird tickets for Thursday’s event are
available at the Guyana Football Federation Secretariat for $1000. Tickets will also be sold at the gate. Guyana has been drawn against Barbados, Turks and Caicos Islands, French Guiana and Belize and will play host to Barbados and Belize in September 2018 and March 2019 respectively while Turks and Caicos Islands and French Guiana will host Guyana in October and November 2018.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
PAGE 79
EBFA/Juicy Juice U-13 League
Timehri & Agricola clash to decide champions today
Herstelling Raiders scorers from right, Albert Adams, Xavi Atkinson and Solomon Austin.
Timehri Panthers scorers standing from left, Trevor Burnett, Joshua Clenkian and Joel Williams. Stooping from right, Antowne Denny, Omar Sam and Selwyn Barrow.
The inaugural East Bank Football Association (EBFA) / Juicy Juice Under-13 League is set for an exciting conclusion today when the final three matches are contested. Current leaders Timehri Panthers which trounced Diamond United yesterday 12-2 will face off with Agricola Red Triangle in the final match of the league. Agricola are on 22 points, two behind the Timehri side and a win for the Agricola boys will see them being crowned champs, Timehri just need a draw to lift the championship trophy. Both these teams are unbeaten and will looking to end on a high which means their unblemished record is on the line. Agricola would be led by their league’s leading goal scorer Eon Daniels who has a total of 31 goals and would find able support from his Captain Jonathan Andries, Floyd Boyce and Seon Grant. Timehri has a potent strike force that can smother the dangerous Daniels and also posses able scores the likes of Joshua Clenkian, Antowne Denny, Keyron Willaims, Joel Williams and Selwyn Barrow among others; an exciting game is anticipated
with the championship trophy and gold medals at stake. The action today will commence with Diamond Upsetters going for victory against Samatta Point/Kaneville from 13:30hrs with the second match and penultimate encounter of the league between Kuru Kururu Warriors and Hararuni Eagles. Meanwhile, in yesterday’s play, Swan gained a walk over from Samatta Point/Kaneville; Timehri hammered Diamond United 12-2 on account of goals from Joshua Clenkian who netted a hat-trick, Denny, Williams and Barrow all netted a brace while Omar Sam and Trevor Burnett accounted for one apiece. Diamond United got their goals from Shakeem Welcome and Shaquan Joseph. Herstelling Raiders, on the back of a Xavi Atkinson double romped to a 4-1 win over Soesdyke Falcons. Atkinson was supported by Solomon Austin and Albert Adams with one goal each. Soesdyke got their consolation goal off the boot of Troy Gibson. The presentation of prizes would take place after the final match.
GCA’s/GISE/Star Party Rental 1st division cricket
Five-wicket hauls for Barker & Duncan; Austin, Ali & Leitch score fifties Sean Devers story and photo On a truncated opening day of the final preliminary r o u n d o f t h e GCA’s/GISE/Star Party R e n t a l s t w o - d a y f irst division cricket competition five-wicket hauls from Malteenoes off-spinner Nichosie Barker and Transport SC’ fast bowler Frauchot Duncan-Clarke were the highlights of yesterday’s action. The University of Guyana’s pair of London Austin and Ershad Ali along with Police’s Kevin Leitch scored half-centuries in the two matches played. At Everest, the game between TSC and UG started at noon in sultry conditions after heavy overnight rain left the ground in a wet state. UG won the toss and batted on a slow track after the entire first session was washed out and led by a solid 74 from Austin which included five fours and a six and Ali who made 59 with
Fruchot Duncan-Clarke bowls to Austin during his 5-54 at Everest yesterday.
two fours and three sixes were bowled out 232. UG recovered from 13-3 after Dwayne Dodson (0), Godfrey Matthews (2) and Kelroy Stephenson (10) went in quick succession and pacer Keon Morris had Dodson and Duncan-Clarke who finished with 5-54, got rid of Matthews. The 21-year-old Duncan-Clarke struck again when dismissed Omesh Danram (34) at 55-4 before the left-handed Ali and Austin orchestrated a
recovery with an entertaining 95-run fifth wicket stand before Austin hit Duncan-Clarke to short mid-wicket. Austin who played several audacious shots on the both sides of the wicket on the sluggish outfield, added another 52 for the sixth wicket with Ali and by Tea UG were 171-5. After Ali was caught in the deep off Raffel Singh, no other batter reached double figures and the innings folded as Morris supported with 2-42 for TSC who were 49-1 by the
close. At DCC, the contest commenced just before Tea due to a wet pitch and puddles in an area close to the southern Sightscreen and with the boundary brought in, Police sent in to bat were bowled out for 156 despite a 71-run sixth wicket stand between Leitch whose 55 was decorated with three four and five and Jason Heyliger (32). Excellent fielding from MSC backed up their bowlers and although 16year-old leg-spinner
Dwayne Bollers took some stick from Leitch, the powerful Police top order were reduced to 59-5 before Leitch and Heyliger joined forces to stage ‘operation rebuild’ as pacer Rawle Merrell removed Andrew Lyght Jnr (9) and Ricardo Adams (12). Kemol Savory (6) was run out and Barker trapped
Kevin Boodie LBW for 10 as Barker followed up his 561 last weekend against DCC to end with 6-49 for MSC, which reached four without loss from one over by the close. The final day in both games is scheduled to commence at 09:00hrs today to make for time lost yesterday.
T&T Knight Riders trounce St Kitts Patriots Trinbago Knight Riders sent in by St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in match 23 of the Caribbean Premier League at Warner Park last night reached 199 for four off their 20 overs and then restricted St. Kitts Patriots to 153 for 8 to win by 46 runs. Scores: TKR 199 for four off 20 overs (Colin Munro 76 not out, Dwayne Bravo 37, Brendon McCullum 35; Alzarri Joseph 2-43) vs PATRIOTS 153 for 8. Evin Leiws 52, Devon Thomas 23; Anderson Phillip 3-40, Fawad Ahmed 228. More details in tomorrow’s edition.
Kaieteur News
PAGE 80
Sunday September 02, 2018
Win puts Amazon Warriors top Guyanese LeRoy Cort continues as Tridents stay rooted at bottom to blaze the New Hampshire Loudon Road Racing Series Trail Guyanese LeRoy Cort has continued to hold his own competing for the CCS/ASRA (Championship Cup Series Racing / American Sportbike Racing Association) on the New Hampshire Loudon Road Racing Series circuit. Cort will be back in action on September 8th and 9th when he heads back to New Hampshire for the 6th round and the final round being held on September 29th. Cort has informed that his team has fixed an onboard camera on his motorcycle that allows them to stream the races live so persons can log on to the f a c e b o o k p a g e www.facebook.com/ridingr ehab58 and become part of the action as it unfolds. ”It has been a great journey, alot of dedication but proud that we can make Guyana flag fly high. Thank you all for the support and encouragement.”
LeRoy Cort abord his superbike, ‘Blue Dragan’.
Luke Ronchi smashes the ball during his cameo Getty Images He has also informed that they have picked up quite a following during the year and have become very popular on the racing scene for the “Very loud suit sporting the Guyana flag” and the ridiculously fast Kawasaki nicknamed the “Blue Dragan”. ”As the year begun we entered the new faster group which meant starting from last place in all the races we took part in. The first 2 rounds in April and June it was a steady climb to the front but still surprisingly,
we successfully finished in the top 8 for all the races we entered. By the July round I knew I could make a push to the front being so close to the leaders and that we did, finishing in the top 5 in all the races. We had a six week break but practicing and training continued, so on August 9th everything came together and we were able to put Guyana on the podium two times, with the 4th fastest time for the year among all the riders in the class.” Cort reported.
B
ridgetown, Barbados, CMC – G u y a n a Amazon Warriors thrashed luckless Barbados Tridents by eight wickets to roar to the top of the Caribbean Premier League standings, as the home side lost their fourth straight at Kensington Oval to lurch towards elimination here Friday night. Chasing a modest 166, Amazon Warriors made light work of their target, getting over the line with 20 balls remaining, courtesy of opener Luke Ronchi’s unbeaten 67. His partner Chadwick Walton tasted form with 43 while exciting left-hander Shimron Hetmyer pummeled 30, in an entertaining run chase before a large Guyanese turnout at the packed historic venue. Tridents had earlier struggled again to post a competitive total, with lefthander Nicholas Pooran topscoring with 46, Steve Smith getting 40 and stroke-maker Shai Hope, 34, as they got up to 165 for seven off their 20 overs. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir (2-21), left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir (2-28) and barrel-chested seamer Roshon Primus (2-30) all picked up two wickets each. The victory put Amazon Warriors on 10 points – ahead of Jamaica Tallawahs on net run rate – while Tridents’ loss left them rooted to the bottom of the
table with four points, with five defeats in their last six matches. They now face the difficult prospect of winning their last three matches, beginning with a tough encounter against St Lucia Stars in their final home game today from 14:00hrs. Not for the first time, the hosts lost early wickets, putting the innings under pressure and leaving them short of a winning total. With 19 runs on the board in the third over, New Zealander Martin Guptill drove an innocuous delivery from Sohail to Chris Green at mid-off to fall for eight. Dwayne Smith, restored to the side after being dropped for last Wednesday’s contest against Tallawahs, looked in good nick for his 28 off 16 deliveries before flicking an ordinary ball from Primus off his legs and picking out Hetmyer at deep backward square in the sixth over. When South African Hashim Amla (2) pushed the very next ball to point where Veerasammy Permaul took a simple lobbed catch, Tridents were slumping at 39 for three. Steve Smith then aided a consolidation effort, adding 50 for the fourth wicket with Hope as Tridents crawled to 68 without further loss at the half-way stage, before putting on a further 71 for the fifth wicket with Pooran. Smith faced 33 balls and counted five fours while
Hope’s knock required 24 deliveries with an identical boundary count before he found himself short at the wicketkeeper’s on a tight second run end in the 13th over. Eventually, Smith holed out to long on in the penultimate over and Pooran blasted four fours and a couple of sixes off 27 balls before picking out long off with two balls left in the innings. Any hopes Tridents had of breaking their wretched run were quickly erased when Ronchi and Walton posted a rollicking 96 from 55 deliveries for the first wicket. Ronchi smashed five fours and three sixes in a 40ball knock while Walton crunched five fours off 34 balls. By the time Walton carted off-spinner Ashley Nurse into Steve Smith’s lap at long on, Amazon Warriors were running away with the game and Hetmyer arrived to blast a four and three sixes in a typically aggressive 20ball stay at the crease, to press home the visitors’ advantage. TRIDENTS 165 for seven off 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 46, Steven Smith 40, Shai Hope 34, Dwayne Smith 28; Imran Tahir 2-21, Sohail Tanvir 2-28, Roshon Primus 2-30). AMAZON WARRIORS 168 for two off 16.4 overs (Luke Ronchi 67 not out, C h a d w i c k Wa l t o n 4 3 , Shimron Hetmyer 30).
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 02, 2018
GFF Elite League
Garnett and Abrams keep Conquerors on track for title Two first half strikes off the boots of Anthony Abrams (9th minute) and Domini Garnett on the stroke of halftime were enough to secure a 2-0 victory for front runners Fruta Conquerors Football Club (FCFC) when they clashed with Milerock FC on Friday night in the feature game of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League double header at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground. The Tucville based Conquerors took to the slightly damp field following light showers prior to their game against the Linden based Milerock with intent and were ahead within ten minutes through veteran striker Abrams. The former national forward made no mistake in slotting past Sese Norville who stood between Milerock uprights after a beautiful period of good attackingpossession football. During added on time in the first half, former Grove Hi-Tech forward, Domini Garnett banged in Conquerors’ second goal to give the few but boisterous supporters in the pavilion something more to cheer about besides his team’s fluid and dominant play. In the second half, Milerock played with more fire but the sturdy defence of Conquerors didn’t budge as the potential Elite League Season III champions were
Victoria Kings’ Calvin Desouza (on the ball) looks to release before the pressing Quincy Hazel (right) of New Amsterdam intercepts.
Fruta Conquerors goal scorers Domini Garnett (left) and Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams. content with sitting back and defending their comfortable lead.Meanwhile, in the opening game on Friday, fifth place Victoria Kings FC failed to grab three points against the struggling New Amsterdam United (ninth); that game finished as a goalless draw. Berbice’s New Amsterdam shielded all of Kings’ waves of attacks and when they did go forward, they looked dangerous but New Amsterdam lacked the finishing touches of a quality striker; something they will definitely need to address in the next January transfer window. GFC ground will host two more matches tonight from 18:00hrs when New Amsterdam will be in action again, this time against Western Tigers in the opening clash. The feature match will
see defending champions Guyana Defence Force (GDF) matching skills with Buxton United from 20:00hrs. GDF, following a poor start to Season III had given their title defence a breath of fresh air after pulling off a miraculous come from behind, 10-man victory over Western Tigers in their last match and they will certainly be confident coming against the inexperienced Buxton side. The winners of the league which is slated to conclude on September 23 will pocket a handsome $5million along with entry to the Caribbean club championship while the second place finishers will receive $2million and third $1million. Admission to tonight’s games will cost $500 while women and children are free to enter. (Calvin Chapman)
Jamaica punches ticket to Concacaf Women’s Championship Kingston, Jamaica – Jamaica qualified for its sixth Concacaf Women’s Championship thanks to a 4-1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago on match day four of the final round of the Caribbean Zone of Concacaf Women’s Championship Qualifying on Friday in Kingston.The Reggae Girlz sit atop the fiveteam table with a 3W-0D-0L, 9 points, 17GF, 1GC record, while Trinidad and Tobago remains in the mix for a CWC spot in third place at 2-0-1, 6, 9GF, 6GC. It was far from easy for Jamaica, who found itself down 1-0 when Kayla Taylor scored her sixth goal of CWCQ. But the hosts would finish strong, starting with Giselle Washington who pulled Jamaica level 1-1 in the 70’. Nine minutes later Jamaica was in the lead thanks to Khadija Shaw, who then scored her second in the 89’
to make it 3-1 to Jamaica, giving Shaw 14 goals in CWCQ. Jamaica capped the festive victory with Jody Brown notching the fourth and final goal in the 90+2’. In the day’s first match, Bermuda collected its first win in the final round with a 5-0 triumph over Antigua and Barbuda. Akeyla Furbert (14’), Nia Christopher (44’), Deshae Darrell (76’, 81’) and Teyah Lindo (87’) scored for Bermuda, who now sit in fourth place at 1-0-2, 3, 5GF, 6GC and stay in the hunt for a spot in the CWC. Antigua and Barbuda concludes its CWCQ participation with a 0-0-4, 0, 0GF, 26GC record. The Caribbean Zone of CWCQ wraps up today with Trinidad and Tobago squaring off against Bermuda, while Jamaica clashes with Cuba.
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t r o Sp
Guyana Women qualify for 2019 Pan-Am Games
Win puts Amazon Warriors top as Tridents stay rooted at bottom GFF Elite League
Garnett and Abrams keep Conquerors on track for title P. 79 EBFA/Juicy Juice U-13 League
Timehri & Agricola clash to decide champions today GCA’s/GISE/Star Party Rental 1st division cricket
Five-wicket hauls for Barker & Duncan; Austin, Ali & Leitch score fifties
Team Guyana from left, Nicolette Fernandes, Taylor Fernandes, Ashley Khalil, Mary Fung-A-Fat
CNL Countdown - Golden Jaguars’ Squad announced
UK based defender Ronayne Marsh-Brown earns first call up
Ronayne Marsh-Brown
Kai McKenzie-Lyle
Michael Johnson, Golden Jaguars Head Coach being interviewed by Brazilian Media.
Sam Cox
Dellon Lanferman
Ian Greenwood - GFF TD
Delwin Fraser
Sheldon Holder
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